BASIC Bank PLC
Profile
- Total assets
- —
- Deposits
- —
- Gross NPL
- 70.59%
- CRAR
- — (n/a)
- Net profit
- —
- Chairman
- Helal Ahmed Chowdhury
- MD/CEO
- Md. Quamruzzaman Khan
- Rating
- —
BASIC Bank carries a 70.59% NPL ratio (Tk 8,811 crore in classified loans as of September 2025), the worst among Bangladesh's state-owned commercial banks. The April 2024 City Bank merger agreement (three-year restructuring before balance-sheet consolidation) remains in progress under the BNP-Tarique government. Bangladesh Bank's broader nine-SOCB-into-two consolidation plan (announced January 2026) positions BASIC Bank as a certain absorption target. The 59 ACC embezzlement cases against former Chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu covering Tk 2,265 crore (2009-2014 scam) are stalled in reinvestigation after courts found flaws in charge sheets; Bachchu remains at large under a travel ban. The bank held its 36th AGM in September 2025 adopting 2024 financial statements. Chairman Helal Ahmed Chowdhury (appointed November 2024) stated improvement in 2025 over 2024 but no specific figures were disclosed.
Recent activity
- 2026-01-31 other BASIC Bank held its Managers Conference 2026 at Mukti Auditorium, Biddut Bhaban, Dhaka; Chairman Helal Ahmed Chowdhury noted the bank performed better in 2025 than 2024 but stressed planned efforts to restore lost standing; MD Quamruzzaman Khan urged adherence to regulatory rules. ↗↗
- 2026-02-03 lawsuit Dhaka 1st Special Judge Court ordered further probe into 14 of 59 ACC cases against former Chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu and others over embezzlement of Tk 2,265 crore; reinvestigation stalled beyond 120-day deadline after courts found flaws in ACC charge sheets. ↗↗
- 2026-01-21 policy Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur announced plan to merge all nine state-owned banks into two large entities; BASIC Bank is among the nine and a likely absorption target. ↗
Provenance & notes
Verification status 'partial': core profile data (name, type, ownership, legal basis, HQ, mandate, branch/sub-branch counts, capital figures, chairman, MD/CEO) verified from 2+ primary sources. Financial data is partial: total_loans_bdt (Tk 12,481.8 crore, derived as Tk 8,811.36 crore / 0.7059) and npl_bdt (Tk 8,811.36 crore = BDT 88,113,600,000) sourced from New Age report citing Bangladesh Bank data as of September 2025; total_assets_bdt and total_deposits_bdt not found in any press source. December 2023 data from Financial Express (April 2024): total advances Tk 12,868 crore, NPL Tk 8,204 crore (63.76%); September 2025 data from New Age (BB source): NPL Tk 8,811.36 crore at 70.59%. The September 2025 NPL figure is used as most recent. Paid-up capital Tk 1,084.698 crore (BDT 10,846,980,000) and authorized capital Tk 5,500 crore (BDT 55,000,000,000) from corporate profile page. Branch count 72 and sub-branch count 32 from Financial Express April 2024 article (City Bank merger announcement). Employee count '2,000+' from corporate profile page; recorded as 2000 (floor estimate). Chairman Helal Ahmed Chowdhury: appointed 2024-11-17 per TBS and official bank news release; 3-year tenure per FID notification of 2024-10-31. MD/CEO Md. Quamruzzaman Khan: appointed October 2024 per jagonews24 and TBS (former DMD of Janata Bank); exact date not published, recorded as 2024-10-01. No credit rating found; BASIC Bank's severe NPL and capital shortfall preclude investment-grade rating. Not listed on DSE (confirmed via DSE sector-wise list; 100% government-owned). md_ceo_since is approximate (October 2024 per news reports; exact date not published). Scam background: Tk 2,265 crore embezzled 2009-2013 under Chairman Sheikh Abdul Hye Bachchu; 59 ACC cases; charge sheets June 2023; court-ordered reinvestigation as of February 2025; Bachchu at large under travel ban as of May 2026. CMSME NPL as at December 2025: Tk 6,168 crore out of Tk 8,839 crore (70%), cited from BB data in New Age.
Sources
- https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/economy/now-city-bank-plc-agreeing-merger-with-weakling-basic
- https://en.prothomalo.com/business/5hlsmh16s4
- https://www.basicbanklimited.com/en/page-details/corporate-profile
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC_Bank
- https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/BASIC_Bank_Limited
- https://www.basicbanklimited.com/en/news-events-details/454
- https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/helal-ahmed-made-basic-bank-chairman-984306
- https://www.jagonews24.com/en/business/news/77720
- https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/basic-banks-managers-conference-2026-held
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/business-economy/298667/11-banks-hold-tk-52034cr-npl-in-cmsme
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/banking/285229/10-banks-hold-over-tk-445-lakh-crore-in-npls
- https://www.bssnews.net/others/243315
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/country/299175/little-progress-in-59-acc-cases-after-10-years
- https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/govt-plans-merger-state-owned-banks-two-strengthen-governance-bb-governor-1340061
- https://dsebd.org/companylistbyindustry.php?industryno=11
- https://www.basicbanklimited.com/en/page-details/financial-reports
- https://basicbankplc.com/bn/page-details/financial-reports