A scammer dies, but the rot in Bangladesh’s banks lives on
The Hallmark scam was the largest loan scam involving Sonali Bank at that time
1 December 2025, 13:53 PM
BB board clears winding up of nine non-banks
Governor says govt verbally approved Tk 5,000cr to pay depositors; Sammilito Islami Bank gets licence
30 November 2025, 18:00 PM
Bad loans continue to break records
Defaulted loans in the banking sector rose further to Tk 6.44 lakh crore, or nearly 36 percent of total disbursed loans, at the end of September, indicating the continued fragile state of the country’s financial sector.
26 November 2025, 18:10 PM
Bank Asia ramps up retail-SME drive, bets on digital banking
Bank Asia plans to accelerate the expansion of retail and SME lending, strengthen its presence at home and abroad, widen its agent network, and continue leading digital innovation in the coming years. The private bank wants to expand SME and retail loans to at least 50 percent of the total portfolio within the next three years.
26 November 2025, 18:00 PM
Bank merger: employees to face salary, benefit cuts
Today, fresh Tk 350 crore liquidity support approved for the to-be-merged banks, taking the total to Tk 35,300 crore
26 November 2025, 15:42 PM
Defaulted loans double to a record Tk 6.44 lakh crore in a year
This is the highest bad loan ratio since 2000
26 November 2025, 09:31 AM
Default loans hit 34%, highest in 25 years
NPLs reach their highest level since 2000, reflecting irresponsible lending, political influence under previous regime
25 November 2025, 19:29 PM
BB yet to release Q2 bad loan data
Bangladesh Bank has not published the banking sector’s classified loan data for the April-June quarter even five months after it ended, leaving analysts without a clear picture of the sector’s condition.
24 November 2025, 19:40 PM
How City Bank became a top lender
While the country’s financial sector is passing through a challenging period with more than a dozen banks with weak financials, City Bank has emerged not only as one of the top lenders but also as a pioneer of financial technology.
1 October 2025, 18:00 PM
10 businesses, Hasina family: Tk 57,257cr in assets frozen at home, abroad
The document shows that Tk 46,805.32 crore of the assets are in Bangladesh, while the remaining Tk 10,451.54 crore are abroad.
24 September 2025, 18:05 PM
NBFI crisis locks up depositors’ savings
Nine non-banks set for liquidation owe Tk 15,370cr to savers
20 September 2025, 18:38 PM
Stakeholder engagement vital for interoperable payment system
Stakeholder involvement is the key to the success of an interoperable instant payment system, yet this was missing when Bangladesh introduced its first digital platform “Binimoy” a few years ago, according to Snigdha Ali, country lead of Inclusive Financial Systems (IFS), an initiative of the Gates Foundation.
16 September 2025, 18:00 PM
Largest Islamic bank in the making
The five banks slated for consolidation are First Security Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank and Exim Bank.
7 September 2025, 18:14 PM
City Bank, bKash, TransUnion get primary nod for private credit bureaus
Central bank approves private entities to run credit bureaus
3 September 2025, 18:00 PM
First Security Islami Bank paying staff from depositors’ funds
The financial health of First Security Islami Bank PLC has turned so dire that it is now paying staff salaries directly from depositors’ money, according to a Bangladesh Bank (BB) document.
2 September 2025, 18:00 PM
Govt’s bank borrowing falls amid weak ADP spending
Low development spending leads to a sharp decline in government borrowing
1 September 2025, 18:00 PM
Bangladesh Bank buys nearly $1b from market as dollar falls
Between 13 July and August, the central bank bought $948 million from commercial banks through seven auctions
1 September 2025, 18:00 PM
9 NBFIs staring at liquidation
Nine non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) out of a total of 35 are likely to be liquidated in the interest of depositors, making it the first such incident in the financial sector.
21 August 2025, 21:45 PM
Distressed loans surge to Tk 7.56 lakh cr
Banking sector's asset quality declines as distressed loans balloon to Tk 7.56 lakh crore
19 August 2025, 18:11 PM
BB to outline merger process for five ailing Islamic banks
BB officials said the central bank decided to set up an office at Sena Kalyan Bhaban in Motijheel to oversee the process.
12 August 2025, 22:10 PM
Financial reforms show the way
In August last year, when the current governor took charge of the central bank, basic banking services were in turmoil. In parts of Dhaka, ATMs were out of service, and some cash-strapped banks were unable to honour cheques for as little as Tk 5,000.
12 August 2025, 18:00 PM
BB allows loan rescheduling for 250 firms for up to 15 years
Down payments start at 1% with grace periods reaching 3 years
9 August 2025, 19:27 PM
BB suspends Binimoy over irregularities
Central bank halts Binimoy services over alleged contract breach and irregularities
3 August 2025, 18:00 PM
External balance swings to surplus after 3 years
The country’s balance of payments returned to a surplus in the fiscal year (FY) 2024-25, ending a three-year spell of deficits.
2 August 2025, 19:24 PM
Is there room to cut policy rate from 10%?
The central bank is set to unveil its latest monetary policy for the first half of the fiscal year (FY) 2025-26 tomorrow, as inflation slows but private sector credit growth hovers at multi-year lows, underscoring the fragility of the country’s economic recovery.
29 July 2025, 18:00 PM
Cashless society still a distant dream
Bangladesh’s goal of a cashless future is colliding with failed projects, user mistrust, and an economy that thrives on cash
25 July 2025, 18:00 PM
Fraudulent trade deals enable money laundering: study
Fraudulent trade transactions are one of the key reasons behind the rise in non-performing loans (NPLs) in Bangladesh’s banking sector, creating a dangerous feedback loop that undermines financial stability and enables trade-based money laundering (TBML), according to a study by the Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM).
21 July 2025, 18:00 PM
Audits expose hidden bad loans at 6 Islamic banks
The reviews, initiated in January with backing from the ADB, expose deep-seated financial mismanagement at those banks
20 July 2025, 18:16 PM