Syed Abu Naser Bukhtear Ahmed, managing director and chief executive officer of Agrani Bank, told The Daily Star that the move is a part of the bank's endeavour to make its activities more transparent.

Agrani Bank is the first bank in the banking sector that has published the list of its borrowers.

The list of 35 includes borrowers who have taken loans of more than 15 percent of the bank's capital. The bank's outstanding loan in 2004 was Tk 9,592 crore and those 35 borrowed Tk 2,423 crore, which is 25 percent of the total loan. State-owned BPC tops the list with a loan of Tk 478.06 crore and has not paid off any loan of the previous year.

Among the 35 highest borrowers, six were loan defaulters while the bank recovered Tk 290.7 crore from 23 of its major borrowers including a defaulter.

Among the private borrowers, Saad Musa Fabric Ltd tops the list with a loan of Tk 136.75 crore of which it paid off Tk 93.26 crore in 2004.

Dhaka Hyde and Steel Ltd is second in the private borrower list with a loan of Tk 130.45 crore of which it paid off Tk 33.42 crore.

Prime Composite Mills is the third in the list with a loan of Tk 128.66 crore of which it paid off Tk 10.10 crore in the same year.

Among other major borrowers, Sattar Jute Mills Ltd had a loan of Tk 89.43 crore of which it paid off Tk 9.43 crore.

Givency Spinning Mill Ltd with Tk 86.8 crore loan has paid off Tk 10.09 crore.

Bashundhara Papers Mills Ltd with a loan of 83.21 crore is another major borrower, which paid off Tk 9.20 crore.

Other borrowers are Bashundhara Steel and Industry Ltd (loan amount Tk 24.37 crore), Pioneer Ship Breaker Ltd (Tk 6.27 crore), Steel Enterprise (Tk 8.10 crore), Nitex Industry Ltd (Tk 28.69 crore), Apex Tannery Ltd (Tk 59.05 crore), Meghna Engineering Works Ltd (59.07 crore), N Rahmania Banaspati and Vegetables Ltd (Tk 32.70 crore), National Cement Mills Ltd (Tk 42.10 crore), Bay Tanneries Ltd (Tk 80.54 crore), Orion Laboratories Ltd (Tk 48.62 crore), Orion Infusion (49.30 crore), Bangladesh Service Ltd (Tk 51.01 crore) and Apex Food Ltd (Tk 61.47 crore).

Among these, Bay Tanneries Ltd has repaid a substantial amount of Tk 19 crore and Apex Food Tk 18 crore. Others have repaid around one to three crore taka.

East West Property Development Private Ltd (loan amount Tk 48.24 crore), Prime Steel Re-rolling Ltd (Tk 3.16 crore) and SDS International Ltd (Tk 83.51 crore) did not pay off any amount last year.

Six defaulter organisations are Dhaka Jute Mills Ltd (loan amount Tk 58.76 crore), Javed Steel Mill Ltd (Tk 39.51 crore), Asif Steel Mill Ltd (Tk 6.64 crore), Vangard Steel Ltd (Tk 26.18 crore), Afroza Oil Ltd (Tk 5.54 crore) and Asif Synthetic Fabrics Ltd (Tk 5.88 crore) of whom only Dhaka Jute Mills repaid Tk 50 lakh last year.

Government-owned organisation Adamjee Jute Mills (now defunct) had a loan of Tk 164.14 crore and Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation had Tk 168 crore loan. Bank sources said until December 2004 these loans were not classified, but those have become classified now and the bank is trying to recover the loan.

Other government-owned organisations such as Bangladesh Power Development Board had a loan of Tk 3.3 crore, Senakalyan Sangstha Tk 77.9 crore, Bangladesh Steel Re-rolling Mills Tk 48.09 crore. However, Senakalyan Sangstha and Bangladesh Steel Re-rolling have repaid Tk 3.12 crore and Tk 4.11 crore respectively.