In a major policy shift aimed at easing hardship for distressed account holders, Bangladesh Bank has raised the emergency withdrawal cap to BDT 1.0 million (Tk 10 lakh) for depositors across five amalgamated Shariah-compliant financial institutions. Under the revised guidelines, account holders are no longer restricted to personal medical claims; they can now access their savings for healthcare expenses incurred by immediate family members—such as parents, spouses, children, and siblings—as well as other urgent domestic crises.
The decision was ratified at a high-level meeting of the central bank’s board of directors, chaired by Governor Mostaqur Rahman. This regulatory pivot alters the earlier depositor reimbursement framework, which strictly limited priority payouts to individual medical emergencies. Monetary authorities acknowledged that numerous account holders faced severe hardship due to unforeseen family obligations and medical expenses for dependent relatives, making a broader relief mechanism essential.
The enhanced facility covers customers of First Security Islami Bank, Social Islami Bank, Union Bank, Global Islami Bank, and EXIM Bank. Last year, the interim administration merged these five troubled Shariah-based institutions into a unified entity, Sammilita Islami Bank. The consolidated bank was established with an authorised paid-up capital of BDT 350 billion (Tk 35,000 crore), combining a BDT 200 billion equity injection from the government with BDT 150 billion in depositor funds converted into equity shares.
| Key Metric / Financial Indicator | Official Detail / Figure |
| Revised Maximum Emergency Withdrawal Limit | BDT 1.0 million (Tk 10 lakh) |
| Merged Shariah-Compliant Institutions | 5 banks |
| Restructured Amalgamated Entity | Sammilita Islami Bank |
| Total Paid-Up Capital Base | BDT 350 billion (Tk 35,000 crore) |
| State Capital Injection | BDT 200 billion (Tk 20,000 crore) |
| Equity Shares Assigned to Depositors | BDT 150 billion (Tk 15,000 crore) |
| Target Deposit Insurance Fund Support | BDT 120 billion (Tk 12,000 crore) |
| Base Account Reimbursement Threshold | BDT 200,000 (Tk 2 lakh) |
| Cumulative Disbursed Funds to Date | BDT 38.87 billion (Tk 3,887 crore) |
| Total Beneficiary Account Holders | 822,000 depositors |
| First Security Islami Bank Beneficiaries | 350,000 depositors |
| Payouts to First Security Islami Bank Clients | BDT 16.0 billion (Tk 1,600 crore) |
| Combined Loan Book Portfolio (Dec) | BDT 1.95 trillion (Tk 195,000 crore) |
| Total Physical Collateral Security | BDT 479 billion (Tk 47,900 crore) |
| Proportion of Loans Backed by Collateral | 24.56 per cent |
| Total Non-Performing Asset Balance | BDT 1.705 trillion (Tk 170,500 crore) |
| Non-Performing Loan Ratio | 87.43 per cent |
In tandem with the emergency cash facility, the monetary authority is executing a broader liquid settlement programme backed by a BDT 120 billion allocation from the Deposit Insurance Fund. This scheme targets the complete clearance of small account balances up to BDT 200,000. Data released by the central bank indicates that BDT 38.87 billion has already reached approximately 822,000 customers. Among the merged institutions, First Security Islami Bank accounts for the largest share, with 350,000 depositors receiving a combined BDT 16.0 billion.
These extraordinary intervention steps reflect the acute financial degradation affecting the unified lender’s balance sheet. Central bank disclosures show that the total loan portfolio across the five constituent banks reached BDT 1.95 trillion at the end of December, offset by pledged collateral worth only BDT 479 billion—a thin coverage ratio of 24.56 per cent. Furthermore, non-performing loans have surged to BDT 1.705 trillion, leaving bad debts at a daunting 87.43 per cent of total advances and highlighting the scale of the recovery task ahead.