Bangladesh Bank Backs Farmers with Fee-Free Credit Access up to Tk 250,000
Bangladesh Bank has announced that no Credit Information Bureau (CIB) charges will be applicable on agricultural and rural loans of up to Tk 250,000. This means that while disbursing such loans through their own networks, banks will no longer require customers to pay fees for CIB reports.
On Monday, September 15, Bangladesh Bank issued a circular through its Agricultural Credit Department in this regard. The circular stated that although banks were previously given the opportunity to waive these charges, some institutions did not comply properly. Following recent agricultural loan announcements, some banks even applied to impose the charges. However, the new circular has reaffirmed the earlier decision, clarifying that for loans below Tk 250,000, only the prescribed interest may be charged, with no additional processing, monitoring, or CIB report fees allowed.
The central bank underscored that the primary goal of this decision is to make loan access easier and more convenient for farmers.
It is worth noting that Bangladesh Bank has set a target of Tk 390 billion in loans for the agriculture and rural sectors for the 2025–26 fiscal year. While CIB reports remain mandatory for all loans disbursed through internal banking networks, the waiver on charges will continue for loans below Tk 250,000.
