Liquidity shortages continue to affect Bangladesh’s Islamic banking sector, making it more vulnerable than conventional banks, according to Fitch Ratings. The sector’s market share has stagnated, with deposits dropping from 25.8% in 2022 to 25.3% in 2023 and lending decreasing from 29.2% to 28.9%.
The liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) fell to 58.7% at the end of 2023 from 87.7% in 2022. This decline is due to deposit flight, governance issues, and lax prudential requirements. Fitch expects possible stabilization in liquidity profiles by 2024-2025. Fitch is monitoring several Islamic banks, including ICB Islamic Bank Ltd, which saw its cash balance plummet by over 90% year-on-year by the end of March 2024. Despite being the smallest Islamic bank with a 0.3% sector share, ICB’s poor performance is unlikely to significantly impact the overall market share.