“Priority given to underprivileged and unbanked people in chars, haors, salinity-prone areas, and ethnic minorities”

ANM Mahfuz
Additional Managing Director & Chief Business Officer, Bank Asia 

Since the beginning of agri credit disbursement by the banking sector, the prime focus has been on facilitating farmers directly by providing all types of agri loans promptly. Farmers are already receiving loans at low prices with easy repayment options, either in installments or as one-time balloon payments, depending on the farming nature and requirements. Priority has been given to underprivileged and unbanked people in chars, haors, salinity-prone areas, and ethnic minorities, following government policy and regulation.

Our agri products are designed to cover the needs of all types of farmers in terms of convenience, purposefulness, and ease of repayment. This includes small-sized loans ranging from Tk 10,000 to Tk 50,000 for marginal, landless farmers, and sharecroppers. Small and medium farmers can also obtain unsecured loans with easy terms and conditions. Additionally, farmers can apply for agri loans based on seasonal demand through our digital platform, which is very user-friendly. The end use of funds is also ensured by the A-card, an NFC-enabled card that facilitates input purchases through POS transactions directly from retailers. Farmers are receiving doorstep services through our agent banking network, with loans at a 4.00% interest rate for cultivating import substitute special crops throughout the year, in addition to regular agri loans. Furthermore, there are different stimulus/refinance products under Bangladesh Bank's refinance scheme, providing loans at lower interest rates for specific purposes and needs. Last year, we supported 11,871 farmers through our products and have several success stories of transforming small, landless, and marginal farmers into medium and large farmers, significantly improving their socio-economic conditions.