BRPD-1 Circular Letter No. 07: Loan facility for payment of salaries and allowances to workers of active export-oriented industries

Bangladesh Bank Head Office Motijheel, Dhaka-1000 Bangladesh. Ref: BRPD-1 Circular Letter No. 07 Date: ------------------- 18 Falgun 1432 Managing Directors / Chief Executive Officers All Scheduled Banks operating in Bangladesh Dear Sir, Subject: Loan facility for payment of salaries and allowances to workers of active export-oriented industries.

1. In the global and domestic economic context, the business environment has been disrupted alongside continuous downward trends in exports, delayed imports, and liquidity crises, causing production activities of export-oriented industries to be hampered. Consequently, the ability of these industries to pay salaries and allowances to their workers and employees has decreased. Now, it is necessary to provide financial assistance to export-oriented industries to maintain production capacity and continue the momentum of exports.

2. In this context, to maintain the export capacity of active export-oriented industries and the country's economic growth by paying salaries and allowances to their workers and employees on time, the following instructions are to be followed:

a) Term loans may be provided based on customer capacity assessment and applicable requirements outside the current working capital limit for the payment of salaries and allowances for February 2026 to workers and employees of active export-oriented industries;

b) The amount of such loan facility shall not exceed the average salary/allowance paid by the borrowing industrial establishment over the past three months;

c) Industries that export at least 80% of total production are considered export-oriented industries, and establishments that have paid salaries to their workers and employees from November 2025 to January 2026 are considered active. The status of being active and export-oriented must be supported by a certificate from the relevant representative trade organization (BGMEA, BKMEA, etc.);

d) The prevailing market-based interest rate shall apply against such loans;

e) Scheduled banks shall directly provide the funds for the salaries/allowances for February 2026 to the bank accounts (including Joint Savings Accounts) of the concerned workers and employees;

f) The funds for such loans shall be recovered in equal installments (monthly/quarterly) within a maximum of 1 year, including a 3-month grace period for term loans; and

g) No additional interest/profit/fee/charge (however named) shall be collected/levied on such loans besides regular interest.

3. These instructions are issued under the powers conferred by Section 45 of the Bank Company Act, 1991.

Yours faithfully, (Md. Bazlur Rahman Sarkar) Director (BRPD) Phone: 9530252