Janata Bank’s defaulted loans surged to a record Tk 67,300 crore by the end of last year, as politically exposed persons and business conglomerates became defaulters following the recent political changeover, reflecting the fragile condition of the state-run bank.
The S Alam Group concern owes Tk 1,777 crore to the state-owned bank
State-run Janata Bank has been partly exempted from the Bank Companies Act-1991 so that it can lend money to Beximco Group, a loan defaulter.
Beximco has sought support from the government to extend the repayment period of its liabilities to Janata Bank over the next 10 years, including a two-year moratorium.
As much as 90 percent of the loans disbursed by a branch of state-run Janata Bank was for S Alam Group, in yet another instance of how the Chattogram-based business giant exerted its influence on the country’s banking sector.
What is the purpose of a single borrower exposure limit? It is to ensure that a bank’s fortune is not tied to the ebb and flow of a conglomerate’s business.
The state-owned bank's failure to meet any of the performance targets set by the central bank raises a red flag.
In the banking sector of Bangladesh, exemptions from rules and regulations for powerful loan defaulters seem to be the default rules.
Janata Bank must answer for its poor handling of AnonTex’s loans
Is the government ever going to stop them?
State-owned Janata Bank indulged in 31 counts of “serious financial irregularities” from 2015 to 2020 involving Tk 13,110.8 crore, which is 22.85 percent of the lender’s liabilities, found a recent audit.
The bank's profit fell 55.5% year-on-year to Tk 80.89 crore in 2022
On edge -- is what best describes the sensation surrounding the banking sector. But the Bangladesh Bank higher-ups were warned as early as October 2021 that such a situation might transpire. Yet, no definitive action was taken then.
Police arrest a cashier of Janata Bank in Noakhali on charge of misappropriating nearly Tk two crore.
Bangladesh Bank has sought explanation from Janata Bank Managing Director Md Abdus Salam Azad for extending loan rescheduling facilities to two companies, including the notorious AnonTex Group, by breaching rules.
Two state-owned banks -- Sonali Bank and Janata Bank -- get new chairmen, according to a letter issued by the finance ministry.
Bangladesh Bank has given AnonTex, which took more than Tk 5,500 crore from Janata Bank through serious irregularities, a controversial permission to take more loans from other state-owned banks as well, reschedule its loans and valuate its assets afresh to make it look like a healthy company.
According to the findings of multiple Bangladesh Bank investigations, Janata Bank has been granting undue favour to yet another big borrower breaking all sorts of banking rules. The borrower, Thermax, was granted these privileges despite paying only a fraction of its previous dues which now stand at a staggering Tk 1,230 crore.
Saddled with Tk 8,300 crore loans to two business groups, most of which have gone bad, Janata Bank has moved to auction property and goods of one -- Crescent Group.