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BASIC Bank’s deposits increased by nearly Tk 5,000 crore between January and September this year, reflecting growing customer confidence in the state-owned lender, according to its board of directors.
The bank’s Chairman Helal Ahmed Chowdhury has instructed officials to improve customer service and intensify efforts to recover defaulted loans to sustain the growing confidence.
He made the remarks as the chief guest at the BASIC Bank Branch Managers’ Conference and Business Review Meeting 2026, held at the Mukti Auditorium of Bidyut Bhaban in Dhaka on Saturday.
“BASIC Bank once faced various adverse circumstances. Through collective efforts, we are gradually overcoming the crisis and moving the bank towards improvement,” he said.
The chairman noted that the bank, which once borrowed from other institutions, was now lending money in both local and foreign currencies.
He stressed the need to keep pace with modern technology to sustain the bank’s progress, urging officials to take effective initiatives to expand Bangla QR (Quick Response) services.
On loan recovery, Helal said efforts to recover defaulted loans must be strengthened in line with established banking rules and regulations. He also called for faster and more effective legal proceedings.
Preventing fresh defaulted loans, ensuring good governance and maintaining transparency and accountability were also essential, he said.
The chairman urged officials to turn loss-making branches into profitable ones to increase the bank’s income. He also stressed compliance with directives from the Financial Institutions Division, Bangladesh Bank and other regulatory authorities.
Speaking as a special guest, Financial Institutions Division Joint Secretary Sheikh Farid called on bank officials to perform their duties with greater sincerity and dedication to improve business operations.
He emphasised preventing new defaults, increasing low-cost deposits and boosting non-interest income, including commissions.
Farid said the bank must properly implement the directives issued by the secretary of the Financial Institutions Division at a recent meeting with BASIC Bank’s board and management.
Dr Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, a retired Grade-1 government official and director of the bank, stressed improving service quality at the branch level. He recommended regular coordination meetings to strengthen transparency and accountability across the organisation.
Another director, former additional secretary Munshi Abdul Ahad, called for expanding digital banking services and ensuring that customers from all backgrounds received equal attention and respect.
He urged officials to ensure that no customer was neglected and stressed the importance of both new lending and defaulted loan recovery.
Bangladesh Bank Executive Director and BASIC Bank board observer Rup Ratan Pine advised the lender to adopt successful practices and effective strategies used by sound banks in the country.
He also called for increasing lending under Bangladesh Bank’s refinancing facilities and complying with central bank directives on both new loan disbursement and default recovery.
Bank director and retired banker Md Khairul Kabir suggested tapping industrial potential across different regions to expand financing for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through a cluster-based approach.
The meeting was chaired by BASIC Bank Acting Managing Director Abu Md Mofazzel.
The bank’s two deputy managing directors, Subhas Chandra Das and Md Hasan Imam, general managers, senior head-office officials and managers of branches and sub-branches attended the event.