Dhaka, Nov. 13 -- Bangladesh Bank has directed commercial banks to take immediate and forceful measures to rein in the rapid growth of non-performing loans (NPLs), which have become a critical concern for the country's financial stability.

At a meeting held at the central bank's headquarters on Wednesday, senior officials, led by Deputy Governor Dr Md Kabir Ahmed, instructed top executives of commercial banks to strengthen cash recovery drives and make full use of policy support tools to revive ailing businesses.

The directive came in the wake of serious concerns expressed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during its ongoing review mission under a $5.5 billion loan programme, following reports that default loans in the banking se...