, Nov. 12 -- The Bangladesh Bank has directed banks to keep the cash margin requirement at the minimum possible level for opening Letters of Credit (LCs) to import ten essential food items ahead of the holy month of Ramadan.

The ten commodities covered under this special facility are rice, wheat, onion, pulses, edible oil, sugar, chickpea (chhola), motor (peas), spices, and dates.

The directive, issued by the Banking Regulation and Policy Department of the Bangladesh Bank on Wednesday and sent to the Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers of all scheduled banks for execution. The new instruction is effective immediately and will remain in force until March 31, 2026.

The central bank stated that the initiative was taken to ensu...