Banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) should make their data available for clients so that they can verify the actual performance of every lender, analysts said yesterday.

The 9 per cent and 6 per cent interest rates fixed respectively for lending and deposits have helped banks in improving their health, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said yesterday.

Default loans in Bangladesh surged in the first half of 2021 as borrowers struggle to pay back due to the business slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan with astonishing speed, but it appears unlikely that the militants will get quick access to most of the Afghan central bank’s roughly $10 billion in assets. 

Prime Bank has been named “Bangladesh Domestic Cash Management Bank of the Year 2021” by Singapore-based the Asian Banking & Finance Magazine. 

The central bank yesterday asked banks to raise their core capital ratio to 3.25 per cent in 2023 after they failed to put in place enough shareholders’ equity and reserves in line with international standards to absorb unexpected shocks.

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday asked non-bank financial institutions to release approved loans to bank accounts owned by genuine borrowers.

Bangladesh Bank yesterday declared a cash incentive on dedicated small and medium enterprise (SME) loan programmes for female entrepreneurs.

Al-Arafah Islami Bank has recently witnessed the reelection of its risk management committee chairman. 

Shirin Akhter has been appointed managing director  (current charge) of Bangladesh Krishi Bank in place of Md Ali Hossain Prodhania, who recently went into retirement. 

Transactions through agent banking more than doubled to Tk 393,932 crore in the last fiscal year as the new window has taken financial services to the doorsteps of people.

Spending through credit cards hit an all-time high in June thanks to the acceleration of digital payments on e-commerce platforms amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The capital base of the banking industry in Bangladesh is much weaker than its peer countries in South Asia, which indicates their fragile financial health and poor brand image in the outside world.

Brac Bank has been named one of the top 10 sustainable banks of Bangladesh based on its performance during the pandemic last year. 

Unrealised rescheduled loans might create a challenging situation for the profitability and solvency of banks in the coming days, the Bangladesh Bank has warned.

The Bangladesh Bank yesterday refused to revisit its instruction that asked banks to set a higher interest rate on fixed deposits than the inflation rate despite pleas from lenders.

Prime Bank has retained its credit ratings for the long and short terms.  Emerging Credit Rating provided the “AA” and “ST-2” ratings respectively, valid till June 30, 2022, terming the associated outlook “stable”.

Al-Arafah Islami Bank (AIBL) has recently witnessed the election of a chairman and vice-chairman. 

Bangladesh’s trade deficit hit an all-time high of $22.27 billion last fiscal year due to a rise in commodity prices in the global market.

HSBC Bangladesh has been named “International Retail Bank of the Year, Bangladesh” at the Asian Banking and Finance Retail Banking Awards 2021.