Bangladesh Bank has launched a Tk 100 billion refinancing scheme to expand financing for agriculture and rural sectors, completing participation agreements with 42 banks. The central bank disclosed the development in a press release on Thursday, August 20, 2026. The scheme runs for three years from June 8, with the customer-level lending interest rate set at 8 percent.
Loans under the scheme are available for crops, agricultural machinery, livestock, fisheries, and rural income-generating activities. A customer may receive up to Tk 3 million for crops, Tk 1.5 million for income-generating activities and other rural loans, Tk 2 million for agricultural machinery, and up to Tk 10 million for fisheries and livestock.
Small, marginal and sharecroppers may obtain collateral-free individual loans of up to Tk 500,000 for crop cultivation, using only crop lien arrangements. Bangladesh Bank said the initiative will widen agricultural financing, support agricultural production and rural income, create employment opportunities, and contribute to ensuring the country’s food security.