2007 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards Launched in Bangladesh

Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi's major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com.

Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation supports organizations that help people improve their lives, businesses to grow, and communities to prosper around the world. The Citi Foundation focuses its grants primarily in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information can be found at http://www.citigroupfoundation.com.


	Printer Friendly Page		FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) September 21, 2007 2007 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards Launched in Bangladesh Bangladesh – Citi Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Citi, has launched the 2007 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA) to recognize and honor leadership, entrepreneurial skills, and the best practices of individual microentrepreneurs in Bangladesh. This is the third annual CMA and the goal of the program is to promote microenterprise. More importantly, the aim of the initiative is to recognize the success stories of the entrepreneurs and spotlight local microentrepreneurs who are helping to lift the economic fortunes of their communities and bringing more capital into their developing economies. The program was announced today at a press conference attended by the high-level CMA advisory council chaired by Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud. This year, awards will be presented in four categories: Best Innovative Micro Business of the Year, Best Woman Microentrepreneur of the Year, Best Microentrepreneur of the Year, and Best Microfinance Institution (MFI) of the Year. The selection and judging process will run from September to December. Each category winner will receive Taka 300,000. The CMA is supported by the Citi Foundation and managed by Citibank, N.A. Bangladesh and Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women (SFDW) as the local partner. The grant from the Citi Foundation will be used toward implementation of the award program as well as the prize money. The CMA advisory council includes: Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud (Chairperson of the Advisory Council) – Chairman, Palli Karma–Sahayak Foundation (PKSF); Professor, Department of Economics, Dhaka University and former Adviser to the Caretaker Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh; Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed – Governor, Bangladesh Bank; Dr. Akbar Ali Khan – Former Adviser to the Caretaker Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh and former Cabinet Secretary; Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury – Chairman, bracNet and former Adviser to the Caretaker Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh; Rokia A. Rahman – Managing Director, Arlinks Ltd. and former Adviser to the Caretaker Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh; Dr. Mohammad Tareque – Secretary, Finance Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh; Abu Ahmed – Professor, Department of Economics, Dhaka University; Md. Alimusshan – Director General, NGO Affairs Bureau, Chief Adviser's Office, Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh; M Nurul Islam – Regional Senior Vice President, Middle East, Africa, South Asia-East, ALICO; Sarwar Ahmed – Managing Director, Syngenta Bangladesh Limited; Professor H.I. Latifee – Managing Director, Grameen Trust; Dr. Mahbub Hosain – Executive Director, BRAC; Dr. Humaira Islam – Founder Executive Director, Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women; Stacey Morse – International Private Sector Representative and Philanthropist. Also in attendance were representatives from the "Partners in Progress" for CMA 2007: The Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, Channel i, and Dhaka Sheraton Hotel. On behalf of Citi Bangladesh, Mamun Rashid, Managing Director and Citi Country Officer of Bangladesh was also present. Past award winners include Shamima Khatun (2005) and Nilufar Yasmin (2006). # # # Citi Citi, the leading global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Citi's major brand names include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Citi Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com or www.citi.com. Citi Foundation The Citi Foundation supports organizations that help people improve their lives, businesses to grow, and communities to prosper around the world. The Citi Foundation focuses its grants primarily in three areas: financial education, educating the next generation, and building communities and entrepreneurs. Additional information can be found at http://www.citigroupfoundation.com.