Basic Bank deposits rise by Tk 5,000 crore

Basic Bank’s deposits increased by nearly Tk 5,000 crore between January and September this year, said Helal Ahmed Chowdhury, chairman of the bank’s board of directors. He said the bank must improve service quality, recover defaulted loans, expand digital banking and take effective measures to increase revenue to maintain customers’ confidence.
He made the remarks on Saturday while inaugurating Basic Bank PLC’s branch managers’ conference and business review meeting 2026 at the Mukti Auditorium of Bidyut Bhaban in the capital.
Helal Ahmed Chowdhury said Basic Bank had faced various challenges in the past but was now moving toward recovery through collective efforts. The bank, which once had to borrow from others, is now providing loans in both local and foreign currencies. To sustain this progress, it must keep pace with modern technology, particularly by taking effective steps to expand its Bangla QR service, he added.
Emphasizing the recovery of defaulted loans, he said the bank must strengthen its loan recovery efforts in line with established banking rules and procedures. Legal processes should be made faster and more effective, while regulatory directives must be properly followed. He also stressed the need to ensure good governance, transparency and accountability. He urged the relevant officials to work sincerely to turn loss-making branches profitable and increase the bank’s revenue.
Speaking as a special guest, Sheikh Farid, joint secretary of the Financial Institutions Division, emphasized preventing new nonperforming loans, mobilizing deposits at lower interest rates and increasing non-interest income, including commission earnings.
Comparing Basic Bank’s business performance with the overall situation in the country’s banking sector, he urged officials to discharge their duties with greater dedication. He also called on them to properly implement the directives issued at a meeting between the bank’s board and management, chaired by the secretary of the Financial Institutions Division.
Dr. Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, a retired Grade-1 government official, stressed the need to improve customer service at the branch level and ensure transparency and accountability at every level of the bank. He recommended holding regular coordination meetings to achieve these goals.
Former Additional Secretary Munshi Abdul Ahad called for expanding digital banking services while ensuring that customers from all walks of life receive equal attention and respect. He also emphasized the need to increase new lending and recover defaulted loans.
Rup Ratan Pine, an executive director of Bangladesh Bank and the central bank’s observer on Basic Bank’s board, advised the bank to draw on the experience and effective strategies of well-performing banks. He also stressed increasing loan disbursements under Bangladesh Bank’s refinancing facilities and complying with central bank directives when issuing new loans.
Mohammad Khairul Kabir, a former director of the bank and a retired banker, recommended increasing cluster-based financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by harnessing the industrial potential of different regions of the country. Lawyer Mohammad Lutfor Rahman emphasized protecting the bank’s interests, increasing remittance inflows and strengthening legal measures to recover defaulted loans. Former Additional Secretary Faruk Ahmed recommended expanding import-export trade, boosting remittance earnings and increasing the collection of low-cost deposits.
The conference was chaired by the bank’s acting managing director, Abu Mohammad Mofazzel. He said the bank must achieve its designated business targets while strictly complying with all rules and regulations set by the regulatory authorities. He called on branch and sub-branch managers to play a more responsible role in improving customer service, increasing deposits, strengthening loan recovery and preventing new defaulted loans.
He also stressed the importance of collective efforts, professionalism and accountability in ensuring the bank’s overall progress.
Bank directors Munshi Abdul Ahad, Sheikh Farid, Dr. Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, Faruk Ahmed, Mohammad Lutfor Rahman and Mohammad Khairul Kabir attended the event. The bank’s two deputy managing directors, Subhash Chandra Das and Mohammad Hasan Imam, along with general managers, branch and sub-branch managers, and senior head office officials, were also present.
The conference reviewed the bank’s business performance and discussed strategies for increasing deposits, disbursing and recovering loans, controlling nonperforming loans, expanding digital banking, boosting import-export trade and remittance earnings, and increasing revenue.