Bank-Insurance
Exim Bank, Padma Bank to Merge, Forming Single Entity
Exim Bank has decided to merge with Padma Bank Limited to form a single entity, confirmed a source at the bank’s board meeting. The decision was made this morning at Exim Bank’s board meeting, where it was also decided to hold a press conference on Monday regarding the merger. This will mark the first voluntary merger in the country, distinguishing it from previous mergers. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the two banks on Monday, with the Bangladesh Bank governor and ABB present at the signing. The Padma Bank name will cease to exist, and the new single entity will be named Exim Bank.
A source from the meeting also disclosed that the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) had been informed, although BSEC top officials claimed to have not received any letter regarding the matter. Notably, while Exim Bank is listed on the stock market, Padma Bank is not.
Chowdhury Nafeez Sarafat, chairman of Padma Bank, resigned on January 31. Following his resignation, state-owned banks, including Sonali Bank, Janata Bank, Agrani Bank, Rupali Bank, and Investment Corporation of Bangladesh, provided a bailout of Tk715 crore to Farmers Bank, in which Padma Bank had invested. However, despite these investments, the bank’s capital erosion continued due to failure in recovering funds from defaulters.
In July 2021, Md Ehsan Khasru, the then-managing director of Padma Bank, submitted a merger or acquisition proposal to the finance ministry due to substantial defaulted loans, deposit repayment inability, and significant losses. Despite the proposal, the merger did not materialize.
Later, in September 2021, Padma Bank announced an agreement with US-based investment bank DelMorgan and Company for a $700 million investment. However, the funds did not materialize, and reports suggest that Padma Bank withheld information about accumulated losses exceeding Tk900 crore from foreign sources.
In February 2023, the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB) decided to withdraw investments from Padma Bank due to no return on investment in five years. The state-owned investment corporation is now seeking strategic investors to sell its shares in Padma Bank.
In October of the previous year, the parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change directed relevant officials to take necessary actions to recover Tk536 crore, which had been parked as FDR in 2015. Despite failing to repay the FDR, Farmers Bank reportedly obtained an extension of eight additional years from the Ministry of Environment in December 2022 to settle the debt.
As of the conclusion of 2023, Padma Bank’s outstanding loans amounted to Tk5,740 crore, of which Tk3,550 crore were default loans, indicating a limited capacity for the bank to reimburse depositors. Additionally, the bank recorded a capital shortfall of Tk607 crore at the end of September 2023.
In light of the current situation, Bangladesh Bank has mandated that all banks and financial institutions refrain from charging additional fees for late payments of credit card bills and loan installments.
The central bank issued this directive through two separate notifications on Wednesday, providing a significant relief measure to the financially burdened.
Borrowers and credit card holders who were required to make payments during the curfew and public holidays now have until July 31 to settle their dues. Bangladesh Bank has explicitly stated that banks and financial institutions are prohibited from imposing any extra interest, penalties, or late fees for installments or credit card bills due between July 18 and 25. Furthermore, no savings schemes shall be canceled for non-payment of installments during this period.
The central bank’s notification acknowledges that many borrowers and credit card users have struggled to meet their payment deadlines due to the prevailing circumstances.
Additionally, numerous depositors have been unable to make timely deposits into various savings schemes, including the Deposit Pension Scheme (DPS). To address these challenges, the new guidelines will be in effect from July 18 to 25, covering dues on loans, credit card bills, and savings scheme installments.
According to the directive, if the outstanding loan and credit card payments are settled by July 31, any accrued interest, penalty interest, additional interest, excess profit, or late fees will be waived. Similarly, if savings scheme installments are paid by July 31, no late fees or penalties will be imposed.
Moreover, any interest, penalty, or late fee already collected on loans, credit cards, or savings schemes must be refunded or adjusted, as per the Bangladesh Bank directive.
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) has announced an extension for the payment period against imports of industrial raw materials from 180 to 360 days, a measure now set to remain in place until December 2024. This policy, initially scheduled to end in June of this year, has been prolonged to facilitate trade transactions, according to a BB circular issued today.
“To support trade transactions, it has been decided to extend the policy support until December 31, 2024. The extended usance period will not apply to imports under EDF loans, as previously stipulated. All other relevant instructions remain unchanged,” the circular stated.
To ensure timely payment of salaries and bonuses to garment industry workers before Eid-ul-Azha, the branches of banks in key industrial areas will remain open on a limited basis on June 14, 15, and 16.
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) issued a notification stating that bank branches in Dhaka metropolitan, Ashulia, Tongi, Gazipur, Savar, Bhaluka, and Narayanganj will operate on these days to facilitate financial transactions for garment sector employees.
Typically, Friday and Saturday (June 14 and 15) are weekly holidays, and Sunday (June 16) will be closed for Eid. Despite these closures, the BB has mandated that banks in industrial regions stay open to manage the disbursement of wages and bonuses and facilitate the sale of export bills.
Additionally, bank branches in Chattogram metropolitan and industrial areas will also be open to support garment workers’ payments and the processing of export bills.
The BB has instructed banks to coordinate with local authorities to ensure adequate security at the branches during this period.
Eid-ul-Azha, one of the most significant religious festivals for Muslims, will be celebrated in Bangladesh on June 17.
