Interest rates for primary agricultural products and agro-based industries have been re-fixed at 10 per cent. The previous rates were 12 and 14 per cent respectively.

In other cases, lending rates have been slashed by one per cent to 1.5 per cent.

Now the minimum lending rate of DBBL stands at seven per cent and the maximum 13 per cent, Managing Director Yeasin Ali said at a press conference in Dhaka.

Deputy Managing Directors of the bank Abul Hashem Khan and AAM Zakaria were present at the press conference.

Earlier in May this year, the bank cut lending rates ranging between one and 1.5 per cent leaving an average rate of 12 to 14 per cent.

The bank slashed its lending rates in line with a government policy to facilitate business and generate more employment, the managing director said.

Owing to the rate cut, DBBL will lose Tk 17 crore in interest income annually.

On Monday, DBBL signed a five million dollar export credit line agreement with its Dutch partner Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) to help promote export-oriented industries in Bangladesh.