Central Bank of the country (Bangladesh Bank) could not disburse any money to projects approved for its equity and entrepreneurship fund as the finance ministry did not release the allocated amount though half of the fiscal year has already elapsed. Bangladesh Bank, which operates the fund, said it immediately needed at least Tk 280 crore to finance about 200 ventures in the agrobased and information technology sectors.

The government had allocated Tk 200 crore for the fund in the current fiscal years budget. But no amount has been disbursed from the fund till date as the finance ministry was yet to release the allocated money. Bangladesh Bank has requested the Ministry of Finance to soon disburse Tk 200 crore earmarked in the current budget for the equity and entrepreneurship fund, meant for supporting agrobased and information technology projects.

The fund demand this year is the highest amount in a single year since introduction of the fund with Tk 100 crore in 2000-01 fiscal.