Sylhet division has become the worst victim of regional disparity in the banking sector, with the region witnessing the lowest inflow of bank credits despite its immense potential.
While people in the four districts of the division contribute significantly to the deposit portfolio of the banking sector, the formal credit flow to the northeastern region remains far below expectations.
In fact, the division, spanning 12,558 square kilometres, is receiving less than one-fourth of the total deposits it contributes in loans, officials and bankers say.
This is reflected in the region's low advances-to-deposit ratio (ADR). The poor access to bank credits continues to burden local businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to local business leaders.
According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data, the banks collected deposits amounting to Tk 816 billion from Sylhet division as of September 2025, but they invested just Tk 181 billion in the region, marking an ADR of 0.22 -- the lowest among all divisions in the country.
According to the official statistics, the total deposits in the banking industry reached Tk 20.31 trillion by the end of September 2025, with Dhaka division contributing the highest share of 60.38 per cent, or Tk 12.26 trillion, of the entire deposit portfolio in the banking sector.
Other regions contributed as follows: Chattogram (Tk 3.33 trillion), Khulna (Tk 888 billion), Rajshahi (Tk 852 billion), Sylhet (Tk 816 billion), Barishal (Tk 412 billion), Rangpur (Tk 410 billion), and Mymensingh (Tk 344 billion).
When it comes to loans and advances, Sylhet Division has received the lowest share, with only Tk 181 billion out of the total Tk 15.38 trillion in loans extended nationwide by December 2023.
In contrast, Dhaka division received the highest volume of formal credits (Tk 12.26 trillion), while bank investments in other regions were: Chattogram (Tk 3.38 trillion), Khulna (Tk 647 billion), Rajshahi (Tk 643 billion), Rangpur (Tk 395 billion), Mymensingh (Tk 215 billion), and Barishal (Tk 188 billion).
A BB official, who declined to be named, said the investment-to-deposit ratio was only 0.22 in Sylhet, the lowest among the divisions. "The people of Sylhet are not even receiving 25 per cent of their deposits. Is this logical?" he questioned.
Khairul Huda Chopol, former president of Sunamganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed out that the region has a relatively low number of entrepreneurs, as many locals prefer to go abroad for work. As a result, he said, the industries that have already developed in the four-district administrative bloc are largely owned by the outsiders.
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