Despite a challenging global and domestic economic environment, Pubali Bank PLC., one of the country’s leading private commercial banks, achieved remarkable progress in 2025 through strong financial growth, sound asset quality, expansion of technology-driven services and greater financial inclusion, a press release said.

Speaking at the recently held 43rd Annual General Meeting (AGM), Managing Director & CEO Mohammad Ali highlighted the Bank’s performance in 2025, key achievements and future strategic direction.

At the outset of his address, he said, Over the past three years, Pubali Bank has not only achieved significant business growth but has also created substantial value for its shareholders. While the Bank’s share price ranged between Tk. 16 and Tk. 20 in 2022, it has now risen to over Tk. 37. At the same time, through successive stock dividends, the Bank’s paid-up capital increased by approximately 56 percent from around Tk. 1,000 crore to Tk. 1,560 crore, while shareholders’ holdings also grew significantly. As a result, the market value of a long-term investor’s investment has increased by more than threefold compared to 2022—an achievement that underscores the Bank’s financial strength, sound governance, market confidence and sustainable growth.

He expressed his gratitude to the Bank’s valued shareholders, customers, employees, business partners, members of the media and the Board of Directors for their continued support and guidance. He noted that despite global and domestic economic challenges, Pubali Bank has continued to create value for its shareholders through sound governance, prudent risk management and customer-centric innovation.

Mohammad Ali stated that in response to a rapidly changing economic landscape, Pubali Bank has gone beyond merely overcoming challenges and has undertaken a long-term transformation program centered on technology, digital banking and financial inclusion. By combining its traditional branch-based banking strengths with modern digital platforms, the Bank is building a robust “Phygital Banking Ecosystem” that enables customers to access banking services securely, conveniently and through their preferred channels.

At the heart of this transformation is the PI Digital Platform, which reached 528,276 active users by the end of 2025. A total of 18.6 million transactions were completed through the platform during the year. On a year-on-year basis, active users increased by 78 percent, while transaction volume grew by 115 percent, reflecting growing customer confidence in digital banking services.

The Bank also achieved significant progress in expanding its digital payment infrastructure. In 2025, the number of Merchant POS terminals reached 25,525, while more than 145,000 Bangla QR codes were deployed nationwide, making cashless transactions more accessible, secure and convenient for small businesses, retailers and customers across the country.

Pubali Bank’s extensive physical network continues to play a vital role in this transformation. By the end of 2025, the Bank operated 517 branches, 274 sub-branches, 22 Islamic Banking Windows and 901 ATM/CRM booths nationwide. The introduction of Self-Service Banking and digital onboarding facilities has made banking services faster, easier and more customer-centric.

The Bank also maintained a strong financial position during the year. Total assets increased by 20.25 percent to Tk. 118,013.66 crore, while deposits reached Tk. 89,519.49 crore and loans and advances rose to Tk. 71,140.63 crore. Consolidated operating profit increased to Tk. 2,907.57 crore, while profit after tax reached Tk. 1,079.56 crore.

Significant progress was also achieved in shareholder value creation. Earnings Per Share (EPS) stood at Tk. 8.30, Return on Equity (ROE) reached 15.51 percent and Return on Assets (ROA) stood at 1.00 percent in 2025. Meanwhile, the Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) remained strong at 15.34 percent, well above the regulatory minimum requirement, reflecting the Bank’s financial resilience and capital strength.

In terms of asset quality, Pubali Bank continued to outperform the industry. At the end of 2025, the Bank’s Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio stood at only 2.20 percent, compared to the industry average of approximately 30.60 percent. This achievement reflects the effectiveness of the Bank’s data-driven monitoring, prudent lending practices and strong recovery mechanisms.

Pubali Bank also continued to play a significant role in Bangladesh’s foreign trade and remittance sectors. During 2025, export business handled by the Bank reached Tk. 38,664.26 crore, import business stood at Tk. 47,313.74 crore and inward foreign remittance increased to Tk. 11,362.13 crore. The strong growth in remittance inflows particularly demonstrates customer confidence, service quality and the strength of the Bank’s nationwide network.

Alongside technology-driven banking, the Bank remains committed to ESG and sustainable development initiatives. By the end of 2025, nearly 30 percent of its total loan and advance portfolio was classified as Sustainable Finance. The Bank has also expanded the use of solar power across 411 branches and 453 ATM/CRM booths, financed 37 LEED-certified factories, adopted IFRS S1 and IFRS S2 standards and implemented a Decarbonization Policy aligned with its Net-Zero 2050 vision.

Regarding future plans, Mohammad Ali stated that under its Strategic Plan 2026–2028, Pubali Bank is actively pursuing a technology-driven, inclusive and sustainable banking model. The Bank plans to launch a year-long Cashless Banking Campaign in 2026 aimed at expanding digital transactions across the retail, healthcare, education, corporate and CMSME sectors.

He further emphasized that a large segment of Bangladesh’s population still remains outside the formal financial system. Through the integration of its branch network, sub-branches, self-service points, PI App and Bangla QR infrastructure, Pubali Bank aims to advance its “Banking the Unbanked” vision and bring more people into the formal financial ecosystem.

According to Mohammad Ali, technology-driven, secure, inclusive and responsible banking is the way forward. By combining its rich heritage with innovation, sound governance and customer-centric services, Pubali Bank will continue to play a greater role in the country’s economic development, financial inclusion and sustainable value creation for shareholders in the years ahead.