Staff Correspondent:

Bank accounts holding over Tk 10 million in deposits have increased by 4.23 per cent in Bangladesh, with the addition of 4,954 in the quarter ending in December.

The Bangladesh Bank’s report titled Banking Statistics reveals this trend across all types of accounts.

At the end of December, the total number of accounts holding over Tk 10 million stood at 122,081, up from 117,127 in September.

According to the central bank, these 122,081 accounts held deposits worth Tk 7.75 trillion at the end of December, compared with Tk 7.47 trillion in September.

This marks an increase of Tk 180 billion or 3.75 per cent in just three months.

Bangladesh Bank also provided data on individual accounts exceeding Tk 10 million.

The number of such accounts increased by 1,072 over three months.

As of December, individual millionaire accounts reached 35,579, holding deposits worth Tk 930.8 billion, up from 33,861 accounts with Tk 833.85 billion in September.

This represents a 5.07 per cent rise in the number of accounts and a 12.54 per cent increase in total deposits over the period.

Mutual Trust Bank’s Managing Director and CEO Syed Mahbubur Rahman said: “After the government transition, uncertainty in the banking sector led some depositors to withdraw funds. Even high-value accounts saw withdrawals at that time.”

He added, “However, following the change in government, Bangladesh Bank restructured bank boards, restoring confidence in the sector by November-December. With limited investment opportunities elsewhere, funds have returned to banks, leading to the increase in millionaire accounts.”

A senior Bangladesh Bank official noted that some commercial banks are now offering deposit interest rates of 8 per cent to 11 per cent, attracting more deposits.

Following the fall of the Awami League government, banking sector reforms began.

Bangladesh Bank halted direct liquidity support to several Islamic banks during this period.

Governor Ahsan H Mansur had said in a press conference that no bank would receive liquidity support unlawfully.

Later, Bangladesh Bank dissolved the board of an S Alam Group-controlled bank, leading depositors to withdraw funds due to uncertainty.