A 14-member delegation of business leaders, including representatives from FBCCI, BGMEA, BKMEA, and BTMA, met with Bangladesh Bank Governor Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur on October 9 to demand a reduction of interest rates to single digits. The delegation highlighted that current bank loan rates, exceeding 14%, are not conducive to business growth, especially for small and medium enterprises earning only 10–11% profit in a competitive market. They emphasized that high interest rates make it extremely difficult for businesses to survive in the global market and urged the central bank to gradually lower rates in the upcoming monetary policy. The delegation also requested a six-month extension for a committee handling financial restructuring for businesses affected by COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war, floods, and political instability. A new committee has been proposed to provide policy support for loans under BDT 50 crore. The governor assured that these measures would continue without issues.
Business leaders have commented that the current high interest rates on bank loans are not business-friendly. They have called for reducing interest rates to single digits in the upcoming monetary policy.
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