Bad loans in Bangladesh

Bangladesh tops Asia’s bad loan charts

Bangladesh now has the highest non-performing loan (NPL) ratio in Asia, with defaults surging to 20.2 percent of total loans in 2024, according to a new Asian Development Bank report.

Govt moves to expedite Tk 38,000cr bad loan cases

The interim government has moved to expedite long-pending lawsuits filed by 10 institutions, including state-owned banks and a non-bank financial institution (NBFI), against loan defaulters, in a bid to speed up the recovery of defaulted loans

Banking reform roadmap is a welcome step, but success depends on implementation

Govt must get all stakeholders on board to ensure full implementation

End the legacy of banking plunder

New data reveals how far the rot of bad loans reached under Awami regime

Bad loans hit new record, hitting close to Tk 350,000 crore for the first time

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur revealed the figures at a press conference today

The case for expanding bank deposit insurance in Bangladesh

As Bangladesh continues to develop, it is imperative to update existing financial safeguards to align with the economy’s growth trajectory.

Viewing the defaulted loan saga through a micro lens

There’s a connection between non-payment of debt at micro and macro level.

Distressed loans soar to a record Tk 4.75 lakh cr

Distressed loans at banks totalled over Tk 4.75 lakh crore at the end of 2023 – a revelation that makes for a sobering read of the actual health of this vital sector of the economy.

BB relaxes loan write-off policy further

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday further relaxed its loan write-off policy as part of its roadmap to “artificially” reduce the higher volume of bad loans in the banking sector.

January 16, 2025
January 16, 2025

Viewing the defaulted loan saga through a micro lens

There’s a connection between non-payment of debt at micro and macro level.

September 30, 2024
September 30, 2024

Distressed loans soar to a record Tk 4.75 lakh cr

Distressed loans at banks totalled over Tk 4.75 lakh crore at the end of 2023 – a revelation that makes for a sobering read of the actual health of this vital sector of the economy.

February 19, 2024
February 19, 2024

BB relaxes loan write-off policy further

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday further relaxed its loan write-off policy as part of its roadmap to “artificially” reduce the higher volume of bad loans in the banking sector.

November 23, 2023
November 23, 2023

Six private banks’ bad loans soar 55pc in nine months

Bad loans in six private banks increased by about 55 percent in the first nine months of the year, raising further alarms about the health of the banking sector.

November 21, 2023
November 21, 2023

Bad loans rise in private banks, but drop in state banks

Overall, banking sector's non-performing loans fall slightly

October 11, 2023
October 11, 2023

25 banks keep NPLs below 5%

With the high rate of non-performing loans (NPLs) being a major challenge for the banking sector, just 25 of the 61 commercial banks in Bangladesh are managing to keep their NPL rates below 5 percent.

October 10, 2023
October 10, 2023

Falling reserve, rising bad loans worrying

The falling foreign exchange reserves and the ever-rising defaulted loans are very concerning for the economy, and the government should respond fast to avoid a looming crisis, eminent economist Prof Rehman Sobhan said yesterday. 

October 8, 2023
October 8, 2023

Big rise in 10 banks’ bad loans

The defaulted loans in 10 banks, including four state-run lenders, increased at an alarming rate in fiscal 2022-23, indicating their worsening financial health.

October 5, 2023
October 5, 2023

IMF Staff Mission: Concern raised over inflation, reserves, bad loans

The International Monetary Fund staff mission yesterday raised four burning issues in their meetings with the Bangladesh Bank and the finance ministry: foreign currency reserves, inflation, banking sector and revenue collection.

October 2, 2023
October 2, 2023

Default loans hit an all-time high

Non-performing loans (NPLs) in Bangladesh’s banking sector hit a new record in June as withdrawal of a relaxed central bank policy, slowdown in business sales and deliberate non-payments pushed up the volume of bad loans to Tk 1,56,039 crore, central bank data showed.