Depositors of six troubled NBFIs demand full repayment by December
Depositors of six distressed non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) have demanded a legally binding government directive ensuring full repayment of their deposits, including accumulated interest, by 31 December 2026.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Alliance for Six NBFI Depositors’ Recovery Committee said affected customers had yet to receive any formal communication from either Bangladesh Bank or the Ministry of Finance regarding repayment plans or possible liquidation measures.
According to the alliance, depositors are still depending mainly on media reports for information about the future of their savings.
The platform represents nearly 12,000 depositors of six troubled financial institutions – FAS Finance & Investment Limited, Premier Leasing, Fareast Finance, Aviva Finance, People’s Leasing and Financial Services, and International Leasing and Financial Services.
The alliance said it submitted a memorandum to Bangladesh Bank after holding a silent protest programme on 6 May, but claimed no official response has been received so far.
“We are hearing updates only through newspaper reports. No ordinance has been issued and no official order has been shared with depositors,” said alliance convenor Zafar Ullah Khan.
The committee argued that depositors entrusted their money to institutions that were licensed and supervised by Bangladesh Bank. Therefore, it said, the central bank bears responsibility for ensuring depositors receive their money back in full.
As its primary demand, the alliance called for a written government order guaranteeing repayment of all individual depositors within this year.
The group also opposed any repayment proposal limited to returning only the principal amount without interest. It argued that depositors have already suffered major financial losses because of prolonged delays, inflation, and years of being unable to access their savings.
According to the alliance’s estimates, a person who deposited Tk10 lakh in 2019 has effectively lost between Tk12.38 lakh and Tk13.78 lakh when interest losses and inflation-adjusted value erosion are taken into account.
Alongside repayment, the alliance demanded legal action against those responsible for the collapse of the six institutions, including former directors, top executives and defaulting borrowers. It also called for recovery of misappropriated assets through legal procedures.
The alliance said total individual deposits across the six troubled NBFIs amount to around Tk3,525 crore.
