Agrani Bank PLC
Profile
- Head
- Md. Anwarul Islam
- Role
- Managing Director & CEO
- Annual budget
- —
- Staff
- 14000
- Established
- 1972
- Legal basis
- Bangladesh Banks (Nationalisation) Order, 1972 (President's Order No. 26 of 1972); corporatised under the Companies Act 1994 on 17 May 2007 as a public limited company
Agrani Bank is executing a high-priority NPL reduction drive: defaulted loans fell to Tk 28,616 crore (35.52%) by end-2025 from 40.49% at end-2024, with a 2026 target of 20%; the bank posted its highest-ever operating profit (Tk 2,502 crore, 2025) driven by a near-sixfold increase in loan recovery; it leads state-owned banks in remittance mobilisation (Tk 33,961 crore in 2025, second among all banks); it faces a capital adequacy ratio of 1.97% against a 12.5% regulatory minimum and a capital shortfall of approximately Tk 5,000 crore; BASIC Bank merger into Agrani is under planning per BB directive; no recapitalisation injection confirmed as of May 2026.
Recent activity
- 2026-02-06 audit New Age reported Agrani Bank reduced its defaulted loan portfolio from Tk 32,002 crore (40.49% NPL ratio, end-2024) to Tk 28,616 crore (35.52% NPL ratio, end-2025), a Tk 3,386 crore reduction; total 2025 loan recovery reached Tk 10,234 crore (Tk 8,368 crore via rescheduling, Tk 1,009 crore cash, Tk 857 crore write-offs), sharply up from Tk 1,726 crore in 2024; bank recorded its highest-ever operating profit of Tk 2,502 crore in 2025. ↗
- 2026-02-22 statement Bangladesh Bank confirmed combined capital shortfall of Tk 31,000 crore across Agrani, Janata, BASIC, and Rupali as of December 2024; BB rejected their five-year capital recovery plans as 'unrealistic'; Agrani's individual capital shortfall stood at approximately Tk 4,685-5,000 crore with capital adequacy ratio at 1.97%, far below the 12.5% regulatory minimum. ↗↗
- 2026-03-01 reform Bangladesh Bank Governor confirmed BASIC Bank will be merged into Agrani Bank as part of the nine-state-bank consolidation into two large entities; the merger is intended to address Agrani's capital deficit without direct government recapitalisation by leveraging Sonali Bank's liquidity in a parallel track; no binding timeline published as of May 2026. ↗↗
- 2026-04-30 statement Agrani Bank set a 2026 recovery target of Tk 12,200 crore and a target to reduce its NPL ratio from 35.52% (end-2025) to 20% by end-2026; deposits reached Tk 1,13,064 crore by end-2025 (up Tk 13,832 crore year-on-year); remittance inflows in 2025 totalled Tk 33,961 crore (up 61.5% from Tk 21,033 crore in 2024), ranking first among state-owned banks and second among all banks in Bangladesh. ↗↗
Provenance & notes
Agrani Bank was formed on 26 March 1972 by nationalising and renaming the Dhaka offices of Habib Bank Limited and Commerce Bank Limited under President's Order No. 26 of 1972; it was corporatised as a public limited company on 17 May 2007 under the Companies Act 1994 with the Government of Bangladesh as the majority shareholder. Staff count: Banglapedia records 11,389 as of 2020 (9,926 officers + 1,463 support staff); current figure is estimated at approximately 14,000 based on branch expansion to 979 branches (up from 960 as of Banglapedia data) but no verified post-2020 headcount was found in primary sources -- treat staff_count as approximate. Chairman Syed Abu Naser Bukhtear Ahmed (FID circular September 3, 2024, three-year term) and CEO Md. Anwarul Islam (FID circular October 21, 2024, joined November 3, 2024, three-year term) were both appointed by the interim government after it cancelled all state-bank contractual appointments in August-September 2024 following the political transition. NPL figures: end-2025 NPL of Tk 28,616 crore at 35.52% is sourced from New Age (February 6, 2026) cross-checked against TBS and Bonikbarta reports; end-2024 figure of Tk 32,002 crore at 40.49% is consistent across multiple outlets. Capital adequacy ratio of 1.97% and capital shortfall of ~Tk 4,685 crore (end-2024) from Bonikbarta; the ~Tk 5,000 crore figure cited in later TBS reports reflects Q3 2025 position. BASIC Bank merger into Agrani: announced by BB Governor (TBS, April 2026) as part of nine-SOB consolidation plan; no binding legal instrument or timeline issued as of May 17, 2026. Remittance ranking (first among SOBs, second among all banks for 2024 performance) sourced from 'Top Ten Remittance Silver Award 2025' ceremony on January 11, 2025. Five subsidiaries: Agrani Equity and Investment (merchant bank), Agrani SME Finance PLC, Agrani Exchange House (Singapore), Agrani Remittance House SDN BHD (Malaysia), Agrani Exchange Canada Inc.
Sources
- https://www.agranibank.org/index.php/aboutus
- https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Agrani_Bank_Limited
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrani_Bank
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/207554
- https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/abu-naser-appointed-agrani-bank-chairman
- https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/anwarul-islam-joins-agrani-bank-as-ceo
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/banking/290296/default-loans-at-agrani-bank-drop-amid-rescheduling
- https://en.bonikbarta.com/business/XQbSR2jgS8Ibqp5L
- https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/four-state-banks-capital-recovery-action-plans-unrealistic-cenbank-1298936
- https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/govt-plans-merger-state-owned-banks-two-strengthen-governance-bb-governor-1340061
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/banking/277367/merger-of-govt-banks-recommended-bb-governor
- https://thefinancialexpress.com.bd/trade/agrani-bank-achieves-top-ten-remittance-award-2025-2026
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/mis/285842/agrani-bank-receives-remittance-award
- https://www.agranibank.org/assets/reports/statements/Notes_To_The_Financial_Statements_2024.pdf