Rescheduling of defaulted loans in private banks surged by 84.01% to Tk 15,963 crore in Jan-Sep 2023, compared to Tk 8,674.95 crore in the same period of 2022. Overall banking sector rescheduling increased by Tk 7,299 crore, reaching Tk 18,811 crore in Jan-Sep 2023. State-owned banks rescheduled Tk 1,433 crore, down from Tk 1,916 crore in 2022, while foreign banks rescheduled Tk 100.20 crore compared to Tk 124.86 crore in 2022.
Ahsan H Mansur of PRI criticized the trend, citing influential defaults and banking sector strain. Bank executives favor rescheduling over writing off bad loans due to regulatory provisions. Experts attribute the surge to factors including national elections, import disruptions, and central bank facilitation. A senior BB official raised concerns about profit drops and misuse of rescheduling facilities by powerful individuals.