, Nov. 26 -- Default loans in Bangladesh's banking sector have surged significantly, reaching Tk 6,44,515 crore at the end of September this year.

This alarming figure represents 35.73 percent of the total disbursed loans.

The increase is massive compared to the end of December 2024, when the volume of non-performing loans (NPLs) stood at Tk3,35,765 crore. This indicates that default loans have ballooned by Tk 2,98,750 crore over the nine-month period, although this is mainly due to the exposure of funds siphoned off under the previous government that are only now beginning to be included under the NPL category, as well as the adoption of stricter international standards in classifying loans.

The development was confirmed by Shahriar S...