The central bank is planning to sweep the bulging stressed assets under the rug when it publishes its annual financial stability report in April such that it can paint a rosy picture of the banking sector.

Banks' non-performing loans hit nearly Tk 1 lakh crore at the end of September -- the largest yet in Bangladesh's 48-year-history.

As many as 60 percent of the banks listed on the stock exchanges have seen their profits tumble in the third quarter of the year