Over 2,500 women leave banking jobs in 2025

Staff Reporter :

The number of women working in the country’s banking sector declined in 2025 after years of steady growth, with thousands of female officials and employees leaving their jobs during the year, according to a report by Bangladesh Bank.

Data from the central bank’s Gender Equity Report shows that 2,588 female officials and employees left or lost their jobs in 2025, reflecting a notable setback for women’s participation in the financial sector.

The report said the total number of female employees in banks stood at 35,061 in December 2025, down from 35,782 in June 2025 and 37,649 in December 2024. The decline included a drop of 721 women during the second half of the year (July–December).

Bankers said the decline was partly linked to institutional changes following the dissolution and reconstitution of the boards of several banks, which led to voluntary resignations and terminations.

Despite the decline, private commercial banks remain the largest employer of women, with 22,983 female employees, accounting for 16.13% of their workforce and around 66% of all women working in the banking sector.

In comparison, state-owned banks employ 9,147 women, representing 16.90% of their workforce, while foreign banks employ 984 women but record the highest participation rate at 25.03%.

By the end of December 2025, the country’s banking sector employed 2,12,427 officials and staff, with women making up 16.50% of the total workforce, the report said. The report also highlights disparities in women’s representation at different levels within banks.

Women account for 17.07% of entry-level employees and 16.19% at the mid-management level, but their share falls sharply to 10.35% in senior positions.

At the policy level, female representation on bank boards remains limited at 13.11%. Among bank categories, foreign banks have the highest female representation on boards at 16.95%, while state-owned banks record the lowest at 3.64%.

The report also notes that employee turnover among female staff is particularly high in foreign banks, reaching 29.59%, compared with the overall sector turnover rate of 17.07%.

According to the central bank, all 61 scheduled banks and 35 financial institutions currently provide six months of maternity leave, and all banks have policies to prevent workplace sexual harassment. However, only 38 banks and six financial institutions operate childcare centres, while 38 banks provide