AKM Zamir Uddin

Bangladesh Bank yesterday began publishing foreign currency reserves as per the International Monetary Fund’s BPM6 manual, in a move that will ensure that the country’s dollar stockpile is reported accurately.

Bangladesh, India to begin bilateral trade in rupee from July 11

The banking sector is burdened by a high non-performing loan (NPL) and will need to continue measures to beef up supervision and accelerate loan recovery, according to the Bangladesh Bank.

The country’s foreign exchange reserves rose past $31 billion yesterday after three multilateral lenders provided $925 million to Bangladesh. 

Allowing directors to stay on for 12 years will deal a huge blow to the financial health of banks, which are already facing several crises, including a lack of corporate governance in recent years, say experts.

On the surface, the monetary policy appears to be tuned to the need of the hour: bring down inflation and conserve reserves. But it comes caving down on careful reading.

The Bangladesh Bank may today raise its key interest rates to tame inflationary pressure but the attempt might go in vain since the monetary authority may not withdraw the interest rate cap on loans in a true sense. 

Eleven banks in Bangladesh faced a collective capital shortfall of Tk 33,575 crore in March, up 9.3 per cent from a quarter ago, in a reflection of their worsening financial health caused by persisting irregularities and lack of governance, central bank data showed.