As local borrowing costs hover high, some of the country’s largest conglomerates are turning to foreign lenders for financing, and Bangladesh Bank (BB) is moving on multiple fronts to make that path easier.

The Bangladesh Bank is now reconsidering an application by Meghna Group of Industries to obtain an $80 million loan from the International Finance Corporation for the purchase of four ships, after initially turning it down.

Despite growth, agent banking is more effective at mobilising deposits than providing credit

It is unfortunate that the previous government fell short of its commitments to strengthen the banking sector.

Bangladesh Bank yesterday unveiled the latest iteration of its exit policy that offers borrowers the option to close off their loan account within three years by paying only 10 percent as down payment and no interest.

The government needs to provide guarantees against an increasing amount of loans of state-owned enterprises every fiscal year, especially for power generation, fertiliser and fuel imports, and aircraft purchases.

These credit bureaus will work to determine credit standards by analysing borrower data before sharing it with banks, which will help financial institutions make informed decisions, said the central bank guidelines on the licencing, operating and regulating of credit bureaus.

Banks are an essential part of a nation’s economy. They facilitate the flow of funds from surplus units (depositors) to deficit units (borrowers) to fuel the growth of the economy.

Banks in Bangladesh witnessed an accumulation of default loans by Tk 10,964 crore in the first three months of 2023, highlighting the worsening financial health of the banking sector, official figures showed.

On edge -- is what best describes the sensation surrounding the banking sector. But the Bangladesh Bank higher-ups were warned as early as October 2021 that such a situation might transpire. Yet, no definitive action was taken then.

SME loans to women entrepreneurs should be made easy to obtain

THE recent circular issued by the Bangladesh Bank (BB) on loan restructuring does not seem to be equitable because it is giving a special facility only to a certain group of people.