More transfers and promotions in the state-owned banks and extensions in the central bank are on the cards in a few days as part of the ongoing reform and administrative reshuffle in the banking sector, finance ministry sources said.

Murshid Kuli Khan was made MD of Bangladesh Krishi Bank while he was Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank in the late 90s and later transferred to Janata Bank as its MD.

He was brought back to the central bank as its Executive Director yesterday and replaced with Dewan Mujibur Rahman as the Janata Bank MD, current charge.

MD of Agrani Bank ASM Imdadul Haque applied on Wednesday to go on voluntary retirement at the instruction of the finance ministry. His retirement is likely to be effective from next week, the sources said.

A private management is set to take over Agrani Bank by this month as part of the World Bank-supported reform programme in the nationalised commercial banks (NCBs).

The government yesterday extended the tenure of Bangladesh Bank Governor Fakhruddin Ahmed to April next year and of Deputy Governor Muhammad A (Rumee) Ali to November 2006. Their tenures would have ended in November this year.

Fakhruddin will be 65 in April next year and his job cannot be extended beyond that, according to the central bank service rules.

A meeting of the committee on promotions chaired by Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman on Wednesday decided to elevate six deputy MDs to the post of MD and seven general managers (GM) to deputy MDs.

The promotions will take effect on approval of the prime minister.

Four of the six deputy MDs are MD, current charge and they are M Tahminur Rahman of the Sonali Bank, Dewan Mujibur Rahman of Janata Bank, M Ziaul Haq of Bangladesh Shilpa Bank and AH Iqbal Hossain of Basic Bank.

The other two are Sonali Bank Deputy MD SM Aminur Rahman and officer on special duty of the finance ministry Salehuddin Kashem.

The seven GMs will be promoted on the basis of seniority, sources at the finance ministry said.