The interim government of Bangladesh has raised the authorized capital of Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) from Tk 1,500 crore to Tk 5,000 crore, adding Tk 3,500 crore to help address over 30 years of financial challenges. The bank’s losses deepened to approximately Tk 750 crore by the end of 2023, largely due to structural issues in its lending model, including low loan interest rates and high defaulted loans.
BKB has faced consistent losses since its establishment in 1973, with non-performing loans reaching Tk 3,188 crore, or 10.55% of its total loan portfolio. Despite these challenges, the bank’s import transactions doubled in 2023, and remittance inflows surged by 99%.