Bank Resolution Bill tabled in Parliament, excluding the controversial clause on regaining ownership

Photo: Collected

**News Desk:** The "Bank Resolution (Amendment) Bill 2026" has been tabled in Parliament, repealing the controversial clause that allowed former owners of weak banks to regain ownership.

Finance Adviser/Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury presented the bill on Thursday. The session, presided over by Deputy Speaker Kaiser Kamal, subsequently referred the bill to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance, which has been asked to submit its report within two working days.

Through this amendment, Section 18(a) of the "Bank Resolution Act 2026," passed last April, is being repealed.

The bill states that Section 18(a) of the Bank Resolution Act will be abolished. Under this clause, individuals who were shareholders of a bank before it went under resolution could apply to Bangladesh Bank to reclaim the bank's shares, assets, and liabilities. Bangladesh Bank could also grant this opportunity to any other suitable person, if it chose to.

The former interim government had issued the Bank Resolution Ordinance, which did not contain Section 18(a). After the BNP came to power, the ordinance was amended and approved, and this clause was added at that time.

The provision allowing old and controversial directors to return sparked widespread criticism. The government subsequently decided to remove the clause, and the bill has been brought forward to amend the law accordingly.

In the statement of objects and reasons for the bill, the finance adviser said that since no individual or institution had applied by fully meeting the conditions of the said clause after the law came into effect, it was deemed appropriate to repeal it.

Sammilito Islami Bank was formed by merging five distressed Islamic banks: Exim Bank, Social Islami Bank, First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, and Union Bank.