Historic Financial Crisis Hits Banking Sector: 22 Lenders Amass Tk 2.54 Lakh Crore Losses as NPLs Soar Past Tk 6 Lakh Crore

Image: Collected

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​DHAKA — The banking sector in Bangladesh is confronting an unprecedented structural crisis, with 22 commercial banks accumulating a staggering combined loss of Tk 2.54 lakh crore. The crisis is further compounded as non-performing loans (NPLs) and distressed assets across the country’s financial network have officially breached the Tk 6 lakh crore mark.  

​Key Factors Driving the Downturn

​Severe Capital Erosion: Heavy bad loan provisions have completely wiped out net profits for 22 lenders, drastically undercutting their capital adequacy ratios.  

​Concentration of Toxic Debt: A substantial portion of the defaulted loans is concentrated within politically favored institutions and large corporate conglomerates, where recovery efforts remain severely stalled.  

​Hidden NPLs Revealed: Rigorous reporting requirements imposed by Bangladesh Bank have forced institutions to disclose previously hidden rescheduled and impaired assets, pushing total bad loans past Tk 6.07 lakh crore.

​Economic analysts warn that this scale of asset degradation threatens liquidity across the interbank market, severely restricting credit flow to productive private sector industries. Aggressive capital injection, prompt corrective action by central regulators, and legal reforms to recover non-performing assets are urgently needed to prevent systemic spillover.