IFIC Bank (International Finance, Investment and Commerce Bank Limited) originally named as International Finance and Investment Company, was formed in October 1976. It obtained certificate of commencement on 28 February 1977 as an investment banking company. The company was established mainly to carry out banking and other financial business outside Bangladesh (especially in the oil-rich Middle-Eastern countries) either singly or in collaboration with other companies, banks and financial institutions. bangladesh bank allowed IFIC to transform itself into a banking company and accordingly, it was renamed and after completion of required legal formalities, it started full-fledged commercial banking operations on 24 June 1983.

Initially, the bank's authorised capital was Tk 100 million divided into 1 million ordinary shares of Tk 100 each. The paid up capital was Tk 71.5 million, which rose to Tk 80 million in 1986. 60% of the shares of the company were A-class ordinary shares owned by its sponsors and members of the general public. The remaining 40%, grouped as B-class ordinary shares, were held by the government of Bangladesh. On 31 December 2000, the authorised and paid up capital, after being enhanced several times, stood at Tk 500 million and 279.35 million respectively. On that date, total shareholders equity of the bank was Tk 1,120.48 million and its reserve funds totaled Tk 648.20 million, which comprised statutory reserves (Tk 378.48 million) and general reserve and retained surplus (Tk 269.72 million). The bank is listed with Dhaka and Chittagong stock exchanges.

IFIC conducts all types of commercial and investment banking functions. Deposits with the bank in 1984 were Tk 863.40 million and they rose to Tk 6,594 million in 1990, and to Tk 15,505.87 million in 2000. The bank follows flexible interest rate policy and the interest rates offered by it on its deposits since 1 May 1998 varied between 7.5% and 10.5%.

Total lending of the bank had increased from Tk 576.51 million in 1984 to Tk 16,233.79 million in 2000. Interest charged by the bank on its lending varied between 10% and 16.5% depending on area of lending and maturity. Insider lending (loans to directors) of the bank accounted for 18% of its total loans and advances as on 31 December 2000. On the same date, the bank's non-performing (classified) loans stood at Tk 6,130.8 million (37.77% of total loans and advances).

In December 2000, the total investment of the bank other than loans and advances accounted for Tk 3,375.43 million and the investment portfolio comprised government treasury bills, prize bonds, and shares and debentures of local and foreign companies. Foreign Exchange business of the bank during the year 2000 stood at Tk 36,500 million, which included export financing (Tk 16,546 million) and import servicing (Tk 15,886 million).

Total assets of the bank excluding off-balance-sheet items were valued at Tk 24,918.96 million in 2000, when the value of off-balance-sheet assets was Tk 8,048.2 million. In the same year, the bank earned a net profit (after tax and provisions) of Tk 192.93 million. Profitability of IFIC was seriously affected by the compulsory retaining of a huge amount of provision for classified loans and the transfer of accrued interest on non-performing loans to suspense account.

Overall management of the bank is vested in a 13-member board of directors with the managing director as the chief executive. In December 2000, the bank had a total of 1,659 employees and 54 branches including two overseas. [S M Mahfuzur Rahman]