Sonali Bank Chairman Muslim Chowdhury resigns

News Desk:

Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, the chairman of the state-owned Sonali Bank, has stepped down from his position.

He submitted his resignation to the Financial Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance on Monday.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, Muslim said: “I have tried to steer the bank toward a stronger position. Having achieved significant success, Sonali Bank is now seeing profits. I expect the next leadership to maintain this momentum.”‘

The former comptroller and auditor general noted that he had been considering resignation since the formation of the current government.

“Considering the overall situation, I felt this was the right time to step down,” he added.

Muslim was appointed as the chairman of the country’s largest state-owned bank following the fall of the Awami League government on Aug 5, 2024.

An officer of the 1984 batch of the BCS audit and accounts cadre, he previously served in several high-profile roles, including controller general of accounts, controller general of defence finance, and deputy, joint and additional secretary in the Finance Division. He also served as the acting chairman of Sonali Bank in 2016, when the then-chairman Fazle Kabir was appointed as the governor of the central bank following the reserve heist incident.

Sonali Bank, which operates 1,234 branches, including two overseas, reported a significant financial surge in 2025.

According to recent data, the bank’s operating profit reached Tk 80.17 billion in 2025, an increase of Tk 23.22 billion compared with the previous year.

Sonali Bank’s deposits rose to Tk 1.79 trillion, marking an increase of Tk 150 billion from 2024.

The bank’s loan disbursements grew by Tk 55 billion, bringing the total outstanding balance to over Tk 1 trillion.