Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. File Photo

SANGSAD BHABAN, April 6, 2026 (BSS) - Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury today informed the parliament that defaulted loans in the country’s banking sector climbed to about Tk 5.45 lakh crore by the end of last year.

“As of December 31, 2025, the total amount of defaulted loans in the banking sector is Tk 5,44,831 crore,” he said responding to starred tabled question from NCP lawmaker Md Abul Hasnat (Cumilla-4).

The parliament session resumed today at 3:30 pm with Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal in the chair.

The minister also placed the list of top 20 top loan defaulters in the House. 

They are: S. Alam Super Edible Oil Limited, S. Alam Vegetable Oil Limited, S Alam Refined Suger Industries Limited, S. Alam Cold Rolled Steels Limited, Sonali Traders, Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd, Global Trading Corporation Limited, Chemon Ispat Limited, S. Alam Trading Company Private Ltd, Infinite CR Strips Industries Limited, Keya Cosmetics Limited, Deshbandhu Sugar Mills Limited, Power Pac Mutiara Keranigonj Power Plant Ltd, Power Pac Mutiara Jamalpur Power Plant Ltd, Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited, Karnafuly Foods (Pvt.) Limited, Murad Enterprise, CLC Power Company Limited, Beximco Communications Limited and Rongdhanu Builders (Pvt) Ltd.

Focusing on the measures taken by the government to recover defaulted loans, Amir Khosru said such work plan includes discussing with the senior management team of banks with more than 10% classified loans on a quarterly basis and adopting an action plan from the bank to identify obstacles in the collection of classified loans and resolve them.

Other measures taken by the government include checking the progress of recovery of top 20 defaulters at each banker’s meeting organized by Bangladesh Bank; and formulation of guidelines on classified loan resolution strategies for banks with high classified loan rates by Bangladesh Bank.

“Banks have been instructed to strengthen the existing legal team/law department of the bank,” said the minister.

Khosru said banks have been instructed to set a target of cash recovery of at least 1% of the defaulted loan balance of each bank by June 30, 2026 following Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

The finance minister said an action plan has also been adopted to resolve the problem of non-performing loans.

According to the action plan, Bangladesh Bank is currently working to amend the existing laws including Bank Company Act, Negotiable Instrument Act, Orthro Rin Adalat Ain and Bankruptcy Act to resolve the problem of non-performing loans.

Other proposed actions in the action plan include to review and update the short-term agricultural loan rescheduling policy; to take the initiative to publish the list of defaulters and willful defaulters; to review and update existing policies regarding incentives for those who repay loans regularly and to identify good borrowers, with the aim of developing a better credit culture in the country; and to set the maximum limit for borrowing by a borrower from the entire banking sector.

The rest actions would be to take necessary legal reforms to impose some of the measures taken for willful defaulters; to include experienced bankers in the judge panel/jury board of the money lending court; to make necessary arrangements in consultation with the Attorney General so that defaulting borrowers cannot stall the loan recovery process by filing writs (with the court); and to enact necessary laws to establish Asset Management Company (AMC) in the private sector.

The finance minister said the amount of loans taken from banks and financial companies against members of parliament and their interest-related organisations is Tk 11,117.31 crore.