Bangladesh’s economic landscape is facing mounting challenges as high interest rates and ongoing political and financial uncertainty dampen demand for loans and stifle investment. Credit growth in the private sector has hit a 42-month low, reflecting the country’s broader economic struggles.Interest rates have surged to 14-15%, which has led to a significant reduction in businesses ...more

A massive financial scandal has unfolded involving the embezzlement of approximately Tk 1114 crore from the Islami Bank’s Jubilee Road branch in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The fraud, perpetrated in the name of loans, is led by Ahsanul Alam and Ashraful Alam, the sons of Mohammad Saiful Alam, Chairman of S Alam Group.In a span of just ...more

Bangladesh Bank has acknowledged that the immediate financial fears that gripped the country have passed, but the central bank is not entirely satisfied with the progress made in restoring financial stability. Executive Director and Spokesperson HusneAraShikha addressed the media on January 7, stating that while some positive steps have been taken, the financial sector has ...more

Paradox of financial instabilityMDs of 5 banks sent on force leaveThe managing directors (MDs) of five banks linked to the controversial S Alam Group are being sent on leave to facilitate international audits. Among them, Syed Wasek Md. Ali, MD of First Security Islami Bank, has already been placed on compulsory leave for three months ...more

The government is facing significant challenges in securing loans from the internal sector to meet its current expenses, primarily due to a decline in revenue collection. With a decrease in revenue, the government has been forced to borrow large amounts from internal sources, with the banking sector being the primary source of this funding. However, ...more

Facing sky limit of non-performing loans, capital and provision shortfall -Sonali Bank PLC has claimed a record-breaking operating profit of Tk 5,634 crore for the year 2024, marking an increase of Tk 1,788 crore compared to the previous year. The bank’s Managing Director, Shawkat Ali Khan, shared this milestone during a press conference at the ...more

Bills and bonds facilitated to attain higher profit -Mahbubur RahmanDespite inflation, my bank gained record profit -Masrur ArefinHis bank managed to secure profit -Mohammad AliWhile inflation remains a persistent challenge in Bangladesh, many of the country’s banks have reported significant increases in operating profits, raising questions about the effectiveness of the central bank’s policy measures. The ...more

Due to the political shift in Bangladesh aimed at challenging the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina, the significant increase in remittance inflow through legal or formal channels is commendable. However, the overall outcome remains significantly below expectations and lags behind the country’s potential in relation to global remittance flows. According to the Global ...more

The Capital, Asset, Management, Earning, Liquidity and Sensitivity to the market risk (CAMELS) Rating of different commercial banks of Bangladesh, based on the performance as on June 2024, are as follows. Serial makes on the basis of performance and first local then foreign banks.Strong or 'A-Class'BanksNo bank rated as 'Strong'Satisfactory or 'B-Class' BanksShahjalal Islami BankExim ...more

In 2024, the total assets of the banking sector stood at Tk 21961.4 billion showing an increase of 7.5 percent over the total assets in 2023. During this period, the SCBs' assets rose by 10.2 percent and that of the PCBs' increased by 13.9 percent. The aggregate banking sector assets consisted of Tk 14318.7 billion as ...more