Bangladesh Bank governor Dr Atiur Rahman yesterday said banks were asked to spend 30 percent of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund in the education sector.

He said spending under CSR by the banking sector had increased 10-fold in the last seven years.

The governor was addressing the scholarship awarding function of the Southeast Bank Foundation at La Meridian Hotel in the capital.

The function was also addressed by Southeast Bank chairman Alamgir Kabir and managing director Zahid Hossain.

The BB governor said many students in the country's islands and haor areas are now able to receive scholarships for continuing their studies.

He said banks are now spending their CSR funds for humanitarian purposes for which many poor people are getting clothes and other forms of support in the winter.