Bangladesh Bank
Profile
- Head
- Md. Mostaqur Rahman
- Role
- Governor
- Annual budget
- —
- Staff
- —
- Established
- 1971
- Legal basis
- Bangladesh Bank Order, 1972 (President's Order No. 127 of 1972), effective 16 December 1971
The central bank is focused on stabilizing the financial sector by controlling inflation and liquidity while addressing non-performing loans and systemic risks from distressed NBFIs.
Recent activity
- 2026-05-07 circular Issued BRPD-1 Circular Letter No. 16, extending the deadline for distressed borrower policy support applications to June 30, 2026. ↗
- 2026-05-12 statement Governor Md. Mostaqur Rahman held a meeting with the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries to discuss lending rates and loan classification. ↗
- 2026-05-12 regulation Bangladesh Bank board gave preliminary approval to liquidate five non-bank financial institutions starting in July. ↗
- 2026-05-14 policy Announced a relaxation of single borrower and large loan exposure limits to support trade finance and liquidity. ↗
- 2026-05-16 policy Governor Md. Mostaqur Rahman chaired a stakeholder meeting in Khulna to collect recommendations for the H1 FY2026-27 monetary policy. ↗
- 2026-05-17 regulation Issued an office order barring central bank officials from attending training or seminars funded by regulated entities. ↗
- 2026-05-17 audit Introduced a monthly performance review system to ensure compliance with Bangladesh Bank Service Standards. ↗
Provenance & notes
Bangladesh Bank was established effective 16 December 1971 and formalised by President's Order No. 127 of 1972, reorganising the Dhaka branch of the State Bank of Pakistan. It is technically under the supervisory framework of the Financial Institutions Division (Ministry of Finance) for administrative/legislative purposes but operates with statutory independence in monetary policy. Governor Mostaqur Rahman (14th governor, businessman and FCMA, appointed 25 February 2026, assumed office 26 February 2026) replaced Ahsan H. Mansur whose remaining term to August 2028 was cancelled by the BNP-led government; this is the most significant governance change within the 90-day window. Reserves figures: gross reserves fluctuate weekly -- $35.33 billion on May 6, $34.32 billion on May 15; BPM6-compliant usable reserves crossed $30 billion in May 2026 for the first time since 2023. Remittance figure of $26.21 billion is July 2025-March 2026 cumulative (FY26 nine-month), not a monthly figure; April 2026 alone was $3.13 billion (up 13.6% YoY). Taka-USD rate of approximately 122.75 BDT per USD is as of 14 May 2026 (source: xe.com/Trading Economics); BB official exchange rate page is the primary reference. NPL ratio of ~30.6% (December 2025) reflects quarterly BB data; June 2026 target of below 8% for the system (SOBs 10%, private banks 5%) is an IMF ECF benchmark that most analysts consider unlikely to be met given the scale of the gap. Nagad forensic audit: KPMG engaged by BB; Tk 2,356 crore total discrepancy confirmed; BB administrator appointment dates from August 2024 under former Governor Mansur. All data points verified against 2+ primary sources.
Sources
- https://www.bb.org.bd/en/index.php/about/governor
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh_Bank
- https://en.banglapedia.org/index.php/Bangladesh_Bank
- https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/md-mostaqur-rahman-new-bangladesh-bank-governor-4114756
- https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/363813
- https://bdnews24.com/economy/c011f689d9f6
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/364056
- https://www.thedailystar.net/business/news/bangladesh-bank-holds-key-rate-10-cuts-deposit-rate-spur-lending-4101786
- https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/bb-holds-policy-rate-10-tough-trade-inflation-vs-growth-4102396
- https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/remittances-all-time-high-375b-4141386
- https://www.bssnews.net/news/380316
- https://english.news.cn/20260402/c0f4e6e1f8a640658f0888cc7ef9aaea/c.html
- https://www.bssnews.net/business/384755
- https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/387228
- https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/reserves-cross-29b-under-imf-method-4102381
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/banking/292904/bb-governor-to-continue-merger-of-5-banks
- https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/govt-plans-merger-state-owned-banks-two-strengthen-governance-bb-governor-1340061
- https://www.newagebd.net/post/banking/249920/bangladesh-bank-to-run-forensic-audit-on-nagad
- https://bizdatainsights.com/guest/bb-initiates-forensic-audit-of-nagad-operations/
- https://en.thedailycorporate.com/bangladesh-bank-governor-hints-at-withdrawal-of-nagad-administrator/
- https://www.tbsnews.net/economy/banking/bb-unveils-roadmap-bring-down-default-loan-below-8-june-2026-787102
- https://practiceguides.chambers.com/practice-guides/banking-regulation-2026/bangladesh
- https://www.pressenza.com/2026/03/bangladesh-sees-sharp-fall-in-defaulted-loans-but-economists-warn-of-cosmetic-relief/
- https://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/news/reforms-tied-17b-wb-loans-govt-mulls-changing-bank-merger-clause-4177456
- https://www.bb.org.bd/aboutus/bankregulations/bbankorder.pdf