Staff Correspondent:

Economists, researchers and academics have emphasised curtailing non-performing loans to ensure good governance in the banking sector and make the country’s economy vibrant.

They also said that growing non-performing loans create challenges for banks and the economy of the country while global trate war is pushing the world towards chaos.

They made the remarks in a session on the 2nd day of ‘10th Annual Banking Conference-2025, organised by Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM) at its Mirpur office.

Professor Dr. Barkat A Khoda was keynote speaker at the inaugural session of the second day.

Several sessions including FinTech and Financial Sector, Islami Banking and Governance, Risk Management and Bank Performance were held on the 2nd day.

The conference sessions cover contemporary issues and sustainability concerns on banking, finance and the economy both in the national and international context.

Speaking at an event Dr. Shah Ahsan Habib, senior Professor of BIBM said that the global economic and financial landscape is undergoing unprecedented transformation.

“We are witnessing a paradigm shift, a new wave of economic nationalism, protectionism, and currency uncertainty that is challenging for the foundation of the International Monetary Order,” he said.

The economy in today’s context reminds us of a long-gone yet defining period in economic history: ‘Interwar Period’ or the period between the First and Second World War. That time was marked by suspended gold convertibility, monetary fragmentation, and the notorious “beggar-thy-neighbour” policies, he pointed out.

“We know that Beggar-thy-neighbour policies were the economic strategies where a country tries to improve its own economy at the expense of others, often through tariffs or currency devaluation, so we have to prepare for any such previous situation,” he added.

He said that the leading economies were engaged not with cooperation, but with tariffs, trade barriers, and exchange controls now. In conséquences, a great economic depression like 1930 could be repeated. So there is need to prepare for a bad situation.

Md. Sabur Khan, chairman, Daffodil International University, Mohammad Abdul Mannan, chairman, First Security Islami Bank, Dr. Mahmood Osman Imam, Professor and dean, Business Studies, University of Dhaka chaired different sessions of the event on Thursday.

Around 1000 officials of different banks, economists, academicians and panelists participated in the two days session of the conference.

The annunal conference has been thr hallmark of BIBM since 2012. The two- day event brings together experts, academicians and researchers from all over the world to exchange and share knowledge, experience and research outputs on banking and related issues.