Expatriates' Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad today said they have set a target to establish branches of Probashi Kallyan Bank in each upazila of the country.

"We are moving for a system so that we can make the service available to those in villages instead of them having to come to us in Dhaka," he said.

The minister was addressing a bank cheque handing-over ceremony marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Probashi Kallyan Bhaban in the capital.

Undertaken by Probashi Kallyan Bank on the occasion of Bangabandhu's birth centenary, bank cheques were handed to some 138 beneficiaries under the loan scheme "Bangabandhu Ovibashi Brihot Poribar Loan".

Addressing as chief guest, Imran Ahmad said it is significant that the nation is celebrating two big occasions around the same time this year-- Bangabandhu's birth centenary and golden jubilee of the country's independence.

On establishing new branches of Probashi Kallyan Bank, he said alongside an initiative to reach branches of the bank to 100 by June this year, they will try to establish another 50 branches by the end of next fiscal year.

Earlier, the bank had 63 branches while the decision to reach the number to 100 has already been approved, he said, adding currently, some 80 branches of the bank are operational all over the country.

There will be no benefit if establishing the branches bear no fruit, he added.

The "Bangabandhu Ovibashi Brihot Poribar Loan" scheme aims to support family members of migrant workers so that they can invest in economic activities, said Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, secretary of the expatriates' welfare ministry and chairman of the bank's board of directors.

Government established Probashi Kallyan Bank in 2010 to provide collateral-free loan to migrant workers, loan for returnee migrants for employment in the country, and facilitate sending remittance and encourage wage-earners to invest in the country.