Defaulted loans in Bangladesh’s banking sector stood at Tk 5.45 lakh crore at the end of 2025, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told the Jatiya Sangsad on Monday.

“As of December 31, 2025, the total amount of defaulted loans in the banking sector is Tk 5,44,831 crore,” he said, replying to a tabled question from NCP lawmaker Md Abul Hasnat, who is popularly known as Hasnat Abdullah (Cumilla-4).

The parliament session resumed at 3:30 pm with Deputy Speaker Barrister Kayser Kamal in the chair.

The Minister also placed the list of the top 20 loan defaulters in the House.

The 20 top loan defaulters are S. Alam Super Edible Oil Limited, S. Alam Vegetable Oil Limited, S. Alam Refined Suger Industries Limited, S. Alam Cold Rolled Steels Limited, Sonali Traders, Bangladesh Export Import Company Ltd, Global Trading Corporation Limited, Chemon Ispat Limited, S. Alam Trading Company Private Ltd, Infinite CR Strips Industries Limited, Keya Cosmetics Limited, Deshbandhu Sugar Mills Limited, Power Pac Mutiara Keranigonj Power Plant Ltd, Power Pac Mutiara Jamalpur Power Plant Ltd, Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited, Karnafuly Foods (Pvt.) Limited, Murad Enterprise, CLC Power Company Limited, Beximco Communications Limited, and Rongdhanu Builders (Pvt) Ltd.

Highlighting government efforts to recover defaulted loans, the finance minister said banks with more than 10 per cent classified loans will be reviewed quarterly, and action plans will be adopted to identify and address obstacles to loan recovery.

He said progress in recovering dues from the top 20 defaulters will be monitored at each bankers’ meeting organised by Bangladesh Bank, and guidelines will be formulated for banks with high levels of classified loans.

“Banks have been instructed to strengthen the existing legal team/law department of the bank,” said the minister.

He said banks have been instructed to set a target of cash recovery of at least 1% of the defaulted loan balance of each bank by June 30, 2026, following Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

The finance minister said an action plan has also been adopted to resolve the problem of non-performing loans.

According to the action plan, Bangladesh Bank is currently working to amend the existing laws, including the Bank Company Act, the Negotiable Instrument Act, the Artha Rin Adalat Ain and the Bankruptcy Act, to resolve the problem of non-performing loans.

Other proposed measures include reviewing agricultural loan rescheduling policies, publishing lists of defaulters and wilful defaulters, strengthening incentives for regular borrowers, identifying good borrowers to promote a stronger credit culture, and setting borrowing limits across the banking sector, said the minister.

Further steps include legal reforms to deal with wilful defaulters involving experienced bankers in money loan courts, preventing misuse of writ petitions to delay recovery, and enacting laws to establish private-sector Asset Management Companies (AMCs), he added.

The minister also informed the House that loans taken from banks and financial institutions by members of parliament and their related entities amount to Tk 11,117.31 crore.