Dhaka, June 16 -- The volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) in Bangladesh's banking sector has surged to Tk 420,335 crore by the end of the January-March quarter this year, representing 24.13 per cent of total outstanding loans, according to the latest data released by Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Sunday.

As of 31 March 2025, the total loans in the banking system stood at Tk 1,741,992 crore, up from Tk 1,711,402 crore at the end of the December 2024 quarter. NPLs increased sharply from Tk 345,000 crore (20.20 per cent of total loans) in December 2024, rising by Tk 74,570 crore over just three months.

Alarmingly, the figure marks a 131 per cent year-on-year increase, up from Tk 182,295 crore in the same period last year.

Industry insiders at...