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DCCI Board of Directors called on Bangladesh Bank governor

Members of the Board of Directors of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), led by its President Taskeen Ahmed, paid a courtesy call on the Bangladesh Bank Governor Md Mostaqur Rahman FCMA on April 06, 2026 at the Bangladesh Bank headquarter in Motijheel. At the meeting, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed stated that the private sector credit growth has declined to 6.03%, the lowest in 22 years. He also mentioned that the policy rate currently stands at 10%, resulting in lending rates rising to approximately 16–17%. He noted that this reflects a liquidity crunch in the banking system, making bank financing increasingly expensive and, in many cases, less accessible for businesses-particularly for SMEs and manufacturing industries.

To address this, DCCI proposes a gradual lowering of the policy rate to reduce lending costs and boost private investment. Alternatively, providing subsidised loans to priority sectors such as manufacturing, export-oriented industries, and SMEs could lower borrowing costs and support economic recovery. He also highlighted that the large gap between borrowing and lending rates has led to a high spread rate exceeding 5%, which has eroded investors’ confidence in the banking sector and contributed to a decline in private investment.

Emphasizing the need to restore confidence in the country’s investment ecosystem, DCCI President Taskeen Ahmed also highlighted the importance of ensuring robust governance in the banking and financial sectors. He noted that recent changes in loan classification policy—reducing the timeframe from 9 months to 3 months-along with high business costs, energy shortages, and weak demand, have put additional pressure on businesses. Considering these challenges, he proposed reconsidering loan rescheduling facilities for unintentional defaulters and extending the loan classification period to at least 6 months.

Bangladesh Bank Governor Md. Mostaqur Rahman FCMA said that in recent years, the overall economy has become heavily dependent on a few specific products, services and export markets. To overcome this situation, there is no alternative to putting more focus on CMSME sector and agricultural management. This attention will eventually stimulate the domestic economy and create more employment opportunities. The governor noted that the long-standing high inflation in the country is significantly influenced by high costs in logistics and product management and emphasized that everyone must work together to remove these obstacles. He further stated that in recent years, our GDP growth rate has not been satisfactory, which has left us behind in attracting both foreign and domestic investment. To overcome this, there is no alternative to reforming business and trade policies and easing the cost of business.

DCCI Senior Vice President Razeev H Chowdhury, Vice President Md. Salem Sulaiman, members of the Board of Directors and senior officials of Bangladesh Bank were also present during the meeting.

Published on: 2026-04-06