Bangladesh Bank has earned a massive profit in the recently concluded FY26.
Over the past year, the central bank recorded a net profit of Tk25,977 crore.
This profit was largely driven by weak banks borrowing from Bangladesh Bank at higher interest rates to meet their daily operational needs.
The earnings mark an increase of Tk3,357 crore compared to the previous fiscal year.
The final financial statement for the last fiscal year was approved today, Sunday, at a board of directors meeting held in the Bangladesh Bank conference room, chaired by Governor Mostakur Rahman.
With the consent of the board members, a performance bonus equivalent to six basic salaries was approved for Bangladesh Bank officials and employees.
The central bank deposits its entire profit into the government treasury.
The government has already received Tk10,000 crore, while the remaining Tk15,977 crore will be deposited into the government's account shortly, helping meet its development expenditure needs.
According to Bangladesh Bank data, the organization’s net profit in FY25 stood at Tk22,620 crore, reflecting significant growth in FY26.
Prior to that, in FY24, the central bank made a gross profit of nearly Tk40,000 crore, with a net profit of Tk15,300 crore.
Despite an economic slowdown, the central bank’s credit management activities remained brisk during the last fiscal year.
Due to a liquidity crunch, many commercial banks borrowed funds from Bangladesh Bank at higher interest rates to cover daily requirements.
The central bank earned substantial interest income on these loans.
Additionally, Bangladesh Bank’s foreign exchange reserves are invested in international bonds and various countries; due to rising global interest rates, these investments also yielded significant returns.
However, banking insiders point out that generating profit is not the central bank’s primary objective.
As a regulatory body, its core duties involve supervising the banking sector, controlling inflation, boosting private sector investment, and generating employment.
According to experts, the surge in Bangladesh Bank's profit stems mainly from instability in the economy and the banking sector.
They caution that in the pursuit of profit, the central bank must ensure it does not stray from its primary objective of maintaining money market stability.