Chairman’s Message
In banking, resilience is rarely improvised. It is built quietly, through discipline in judgment, consistency in conduct, and the steady earning of trust over many years.
- Md. Showkat Ali Chowdhury, Chairman of the Board of Directors
It is my privilege to welcome you to the 34th Annual General Meeting of Eastern Bank PLC. and to present the Annual Report and audited financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2025.
This report arrives at a defining moment for the banking industry in Bangladesh. The year under review did not merely test financial performance; it tested credibility. Across the sector, weaknesses that had accumulated over time became harder to conceal, revealing themselves in deteriorating asset quality, shaken depositor confidence and the decisive regulatory response that followed. In such a time, results matter but what matters more is what those results reveal about the institution that produces them.
For EBL, 2025 was the strongest year in our history. That outcome was not just the product of luck. In banking, resilience is rarely improvised. It is built quietly through discipline in judgment, consistency in conduct, and the steady earning of trust over many years. If there is one conviction the year reaffirmed, it is this: trust is not merely a virtue in banking; it is a form of capital in its own right.
Management’s Review
While challenges persist, we remain cautiously optimistic about the economic outlook. Exchange rate stability, steady remittance inflows, and export recovery are expected to support resilience in the coming year. With the implementation of structural reforms, we foresee a gradual restoration of investor confidence and a more vibrant business environment.
- Ali Reza Iftekhar, Managing Director*
* Retired on 18 April 2026
It is my privilege to present the performance and progress of Eastern Bank PLC. for the year 2025; a year marked by economic upheavals, persistent inflationary pressures, and a challenging operating environment for the banking sector.
Navigating headwinds with resilience and resolve
Bangladesh economy in 2025 underwent a phase of macroeconomic strains, characterized by slower growth, elevated inflation, and tighter policy conditions, all of which had direct implications for the banking sector. According to Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) GDP growth decelerated to 3.49% in FY2025 from 4.22% in the previous year reflecting weaker investment and subdued business sentiment. At the same time, inflation remained persistently high, hovering around 9%, with point-to-point inflation reaching 8.49% in December 2025, driven by continued pressure on food and non-food prices.
