Dhaka, Dec 06 (bdnews24.com) – Bangladesh Bank will monitor the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of commercial banks in the country, said its governor Atiur Rahman on Sunday.

Atiur said the central bank will give importance to social duties of the banks in its five-year work plan (2010 to 2014), to be announced next January.

He was speaking at a conference on CSR, arranged by Prime Bank at the capital's Sheraton Hotel.

Atiur said: "All the banks are pursuing the CSR activities of their choice. However, from now on these activities will be monitored. Already, the central bank has started this process."

The governor said the plan will highlight the priorities of the CSR and its beneficiaries.

Atiur also said, "A time will come when the CSR issues will also be considered in the 'camel ratings'." Camel rating is a supervisory rating of the banks' overall condition used to classify the nation's banks.

The governor urged the banks to include their CSR activities in their annual reports.

He hoped the affluent persons will help the poor people, not leave all the responsibilities to the government.

All the banks have to pay 42.50 percent corporate tax on their profits in the 2009-10 fiscal year. However, they do not have to pay any taxes for the CSR activities.

Among the others, Prime Bank chairman Azam J Chowdhury and managing director Ehsanul Haque spoke on the occasion.

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