Bangladesh Development Bank

What Bangladesh Development Bank does

Bangladesh Development Bank PLC (BDBL) is a state-owned commercial bank wholly owned by the Government of Bangladesh, established on November 16, 2009 through the merger of Bangladesh Shilpa Bank and Bangladesh Shilpa Rin Sangstha. The bank operates as a policy-oriented commercial lender with explicit mandates in industrial credit, cottage, micro, small and medium enterprises (CMSME), agriculture, housing, and personal banking, supplemented by foreign trade finance and foreign exchange services. It serves retail depositors, SME borrowers, and large industrial clients, and is connected to national payment and government systems including BACH, RTGS, BEFTN, e-GP, Nothi, and A-Chalan. The bank reports total equity of BDT 67.36 billion and is BASEL III compliant, with consecutive Bangladesh Government Integrity Awards between 2018 and 2024.

BDBL's core product set spans deposit products (savings, current, SND, student savings, fixed deposit, special savings), loan products (cash credit, CMSME, industrial, personal, housing, secured overdraft, agricultural), and a growing digital stack anchored by the BDBL Digital Bank platform, Internet Banking, e-Account onboarding, and debit card issuance. It has extended the franchise through two wholly owned subsidiaries, BDBL Securities Limited and BDBL Investment Services Limited (BISL), providing brokerage and investment services revenue lines. The bank has also partnered with PRAN-RFL for bill collection and with the government's e-Government Procurement (e-GP) platform, embedding itself in institutional transaction flows.

Distribution is branch-led, with 50-52 online branches nationwide and zonal offices in Dhaka (North and South), Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet, supported by a workforce of 1,001-5,000 employees. Revenue is generated through the standard commercial banking model — net interest income on the loan book, fee and commission income on trade finance and remittances, and emerging fee contribution from the digital channel and securities subsidiaries. The bank's strategic posture is incremental modernization: a measured branch expansion, digital channel rollout, and regulatory alignment (BASEL III, Green Banking) rather than aggressive growth.

Name

Bangladesh Development Bank

Legal name

Bangladesh Development Bank PLC (বাংলাদেশ ডেভেলপমেন্ট ব্যাংক পিএলসি.)

Website

https://bdbl.com.bd

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Bangladesh Development Bank PLC is a state-owned commercial bank wholly owned by the Government of Bangladesh, providing industrial, CMSME, agricultural, housing, and personal banking services through 50-plus branches and digital channels, with subsidiaries in securities and investment services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221)

SIC

State Commercial Banks (6022)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector Retail Banks (State-Owned Commercial Banks) (FSABAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC), SBA/Government-Backed & Development Finance Loans (FSAKAGAI), Policy Banks (Government-Directed Lending Banks) (FSABAKAM)

Keywords

• Commercial banking services
• Development and industrial finance
• CMSME lending
• Foreign trade financing
• Digital banking platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bangladesh Development Bank PLC is a state-owned commercial bank offering a full suite of banking products across deposit schemes (savings, current, SND, student, fixed deposit, special savings), lending products (CMSME, industrial, personal, housing, agricultural, cash credit, secured overdraft), foreign trade finance and foreign exchange, and digital banking channels (BDBL Digital Bank mobile app, Internet Banking, E-Account, debit cards). It distributes these services through 50+ interconnected online branches across Bangladesh and national payment system integrations, supported by two wholly owned subsidiaries (BDBL Securities and BDBL Investment Services).

Product overview

Bangladesh Development Bank PLC (BDBL) is a state-owned commercial bank in Bangladesh that operates as a traditional financial institution with a broad portfolio of banking products and services. The bank's offerings are organized across four main pillars: (1) deposit products including savings accounts, current accounts, SND accounts, student savings, fixed deposits, and special savings schemes; (2) lending products covering CC/overdraft facilities, CMSME loans, industrial loans, personal loans, house construction loans, SOD loans, and agricultural loans; (3) foreign trade services including foreign trade finance and foreign exchange; and (4) digital banking services comprising the BDBL Digital Bank mobile app, BDBL Internet Banking, BDBL E-Account, and debit card services. The bank also operates two subsidiaries — BDBL Securities Limited (stock brokerage) and BDBL Investment Services Limited (BISL) — and maintains 50 online branches nationwide. Green Banking, bill collection services (PRAN-RFL), remittance, and helpdesk services for SME, women entrepreneurs, and agriculture are additional specialized offerings. The bank functions as a single-platform institution with branch-based and digital service channels, rather than a modular software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BDBL Digital Bank: Digital banking services offered by Bangladesh Development Bank including mobile app and internet banking.
• BDBL iBanking

Products and services

• BDBL Digital Bank (Mobile App) Mobile banking application offering account management, fund transfers, bill payments, and real-time banking services to retail and corporate customers.
• BDBL Internet Banking Online banking platform enabling customers to access accounts, perform transactions, and manage banking services via web browser.
• BDBL E-Account Electronic account opening and management service for digital onboarding of new customers.
• Debit Card Bank-issued debit card for ATM withdrawals, POS transactions, and online purchases.
• Savings Account (সঞ্চয়ী হিসাব) Retail savings deposit account with interest-bearing balance, accessible via branch and digital channels.
• Current Account (চলতি হিসাব) Non-interest-bearing transactional account for businesses and individuals requiring frequent account activity.
• SND Account (সঞ্চয়ী আমানত হিসাব) Short-term notice deposit account for businesses with surplus funds seeking better returns than current accounts.
• Students Savings Account (স্টুডেন্টস সেভিংস হিসাব) Savings account designed for students to encourage financial inclusion and savings habits among youth.
• Fixed Deposit (স্থায়ী আমানত) Term deposit product offering guaranteed returns with fixed tenures and competitive interest rates.
• Special Savings Scheme (বিশেষ সঞ্চয় স্কিম) Specialized savings scheme with tailored terms for specific savings goals or customer segments.
• Cash Credit (CC) (ক্যাশ ক্রেডিট) Revolving credit facility allowing borrowers to draw up to an approved limit against collateral, paying interest only on utilized amounts.
• CMSME Loan (সিএমএসএমই লোন) Credit facility targeting Cottage, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises for business growth and operational financing.
• Industrial Loan (শিল্প ঋণ) Term loan for industrial and manufacturing enterprises to fund capital expenditure and business expansion.
• Personal Loan (ব্যক্তিগত ঋণ) Unsecured or secured personal loans for individual borrowers to meet personal financial needs.
• House Construction Loan (গৃহ নির্মাণ ঋণ) Housing loan for individuals to finance construction of residential properties, with collateral-backed terms.
• SOD Loan (এসওডি ঋণ) Secured Overdraft facility for businesses requiring flexible short-term liquidity.
• Agricultural Loan (কৃষি ঋণ) Specialized credit for the agricultural sector supporting farmers and agri-businesses with tailored financing.
• Foreign Trade Finance (বৈদেশিক বাণিজ্য অর্থায়ন) Import and export financing services including letters of credit, guarantees, and trade-related credit facilities.
• Foreign Exchange Business (বৈদেশিক মুদ্রা ব্যবসা) Foreign exchange services for businesses and individuals including currency conversion and international transactions.
• Green Banking Products Environmentally focused lending for green projects including solar panels, renewable energy plants, waste management, and eco-friendly brick kilns.
• BACH, RTGS, BEFTN Services Clearing house and fund transfer services via Bangladesh Automated Clearing House (BACH), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), and Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network (BEFTN).
• e-GP Tender Service (ই-জিপি টেন্ডার) Electronic Government Procurement (e-GP) tender service and government procurement process support through integration with the national e-GP platform.
• Savings Certificate Service (সঞ্চয়পত্র পরিষেবা) Government savings certificate distribution and servicing at BDBL branches across Bangladesh.
• Challan Service (চালান পরিষেবা) Government treasury challan service for tax and non-tax payments to government via BDBL branches.
• Remittance Service (রেমিটেন্স) Inward remittance service enabling overseas Bangladeshis to send funds to beneficiaries through BDBL branches and digital channels.
• PRAN-RFL Bill Collection (প্রাণ-আরএফএল বিল) Bill collection service for PRAN-RFL Group dealers available across all BDBL branches.
• Payment Order (পেমেন্ট অর্ডার) Banking instrument for transferring funds to a named payee, available at BDBL branches.
• SMS/Email Banking Alerts Notification service sending SMS and email alerts for account transactions, balance changes, and important banking updates.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank of Bangladesh)coreTechnology or Integration · 16 November 2009Regulatory partner and payment system integrator. BDBL participates in Bangladesh Automated Clearing House (BACH), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), and Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network (BEFTN) systems operated by Bangladesh Bank.
• PRAN-RFL GroupminorOthersBiller partnership for bill collection services. All BDBL branches can easily collect bills from dealers of PRAN-RFL Group establishments.
• BDBL Securities Limited (BSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary company providing securities and investment services. BDBL Securities was established as a new associate company of Bangladesh Development Bank Limited.
• BDBL Investment Services Limited (BISL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSubsidiary company providing investment services. New associate company of Bangladesh Development Bank Limited.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Eastern Bank PLC (EBL): EBL is a private Bangladeshi commercial bank focused on corporate, SME, and treasury services. It competes with BDBL for trade finance and CMSME customers in Bangladesh and represents a higher-end private-sector alternative.
• BRAC Bank PLC: BRAC Bank is a leading private commercial bank in Bangladesh competing directly with BDBL in CMSME lending, retail deposits, and digital banking, and is often cited as a benchmark for SME underwriting and customer experience in the same domestic market.
• Dutch-Bangla Bank PLC: Dutch-Bangla Bank is a private Bangladeshi commercial bank known for its extensive ATM network and digital banking leadership. It competes with BDBL in retail deposits, card products, and CMSME lending within Bangladesh.
• Pubali Bank PLC: Pubali Bank is one of the largest private commercial banks in Bangladesh and a comparable peer on deposit-taking, trade finance, and SME lending products, offering a private-sector benchmark against BDBL's state-owned model.

Broad incumbents

• Bangladesh Bank (Central Bank): Bangladesh Bank is the central bank of Bangladesh and the regulator overseeing BDBL. It is comparable as the apex monetary authority within which BDBL operates, owning the BACH, RTGS, and BEFTN infrastructure that BDBL integrates into, though its mandate differs from a commercial bank.
• State Bank of India: State Bank of India is a state-owned commercial bank in India with a comparable development and commercial banking mandate at much larger scale. It serves as a broad regional benchmark for state-owned commercial bank business models across South Asia.

Direct peers

• Janata Bank PLC: Janata Bank is another state-owned commercial bank in Bangladesh operating under the same government-ownership structure as BDBL, with overlapping deposit, lending, and trade finance products targeting similar CMSME, industrial, and retail segments across Bangladesh.
• Sonali Bank PLC: Sonali Bank is the largest state-owned commercial bank in Bangladesh, wholly owned by the Government. It is the closest direct peer to BDBL given shared sovereign ownership, full-service commercial banking mandate, and nationwide branch network competing for the same government, SME, and retail customers.
• Rupali Bank PLC: Rupali Bank is a state-owned commercial bank in Bangladesh with a comparable nationwide branch network, deposit and lending product set, and government-directed lending mandate that puts it in direct competition with BDBL for public-sector and SME banking customers.
• Agrani Bank PLC: Agrani Bank is a state-owned commercial bank in Bangladesh that shares BDBL's full-service commercial banking model, government ownership, and focus on SME and agricultural lending, making it a directly comparable peer for product and customer overlap.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bdblbank
• Facebookfacebook.com/bangladeshdevelopmentbankplc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bangladesh-development-bank-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bangladesh Development Bank