Baku:Sonali Bank PLC has extended Tk 7,000 crore in liquidity support to National Bank PLC under a three-month loan agreement. This arrangement is fully guaranteed by Bangladesh Bank, enabling the private lender to resume normal banking services and facilitate deposit withdrawals starting October 15.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the three-month loan carries an interest rate of 10 percent, and the transaction is now complete. If National Bank fails to repay the loan within the stipulated period, Bangladesh Bank will repay Sonali Bank under the guarantee.
National Bank is preparing to resume full banking services on October 15, allowing customers to withdraw their deposits. The bank has already started accepting withdrawal requests and received nearly 7,000 as of October 13. Efforts are being made to ensure funds reach all branches by October 14, in preparation for the resumption of customer services.
Last week, senior executives of National Bank met with Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman to request liquidity assistance to facilitate payments to depositors. Following the meeting, Bangladesh Bank assured the lender of liquidity support and instructed it to ensure customers could withdraw money according to their needs from all branches and ATM booths from October 15.
National Bank has been experiencing ongoing financial difficulties, with cumulative losses of nearly Tk 9,000 crore over four years since 2022. The bank's annual report indicated a loss of Tk 2,430 crore in 2025, a 41 percent increase from Tk 1,722 crore the previous year. Non-performing loans accounted for 59.69 percent of the bank's total outstanding loans at the end of 2025.
The latest liquidity support follows a recent move by four National Bank depositors who sought access to their savings through the High Court last month. As one of Bangladesh's oldest private commercial banks, National Bank has previously received liquidity support from Bangladesh Bank amid funding shortages and a high level of non-performing loans.