Bangladesh Bad Loans Hit Record as Regulator Unveils Hidden Data

Bangladesh’s banking sector is in distress, as nearly a quarter of all loans have now soured after the central bank unearthed previously undisclosed data from the former government.

Doubtful loans reached a record 4.2 trillion taka ($34 billion) as of March, more than doubling from 1.82 trillion taka a year earlier, and now account for 24.1% of total banking sector assets, up from 11.1% over the same period, according to central bank data released Sunday.