The government has raised a total of Tk 42,400 crore through sukuk — a Shariah-compliant investment instrument similar to conventional bonds — since its introduction in December 2020.
The latest sukuk auction, aimed at raising Tk 5,900 crore, received an overwhelming response, attracting bids worth Tk 72,598 crore from banks, financial institutions, and individual investors.
The Bangladesh Bank (BB) conducted the auction on behalf of the government.
According to BB data, Tk 32,400 crore was raised through public auctions, while another Tk 10,000 crore was issued through private placement to Sammilito Islami Bank, which began operations in December last year.
“This strong response clearly reflects the growing demand for Shariah-based investment instruments in the market,” said Istequemal Hussain, Director of the Debt Management Department at Bangladesh Bank.
He noted that investor confidence remains high because the sukuk is government-backed, while trust in some Shariah-based banks has weakened in recent years.
On Wednesday, the central bank allocated the seven-year sukuk bonds among Islamic banks, finance companies, Islamic banking windows of conventional banks, provident funds, and individual investors at a fixed proportionate rate.
Hussain also said the government plans to raise an additional Tk 10,000 crore through both short-term and long-term sukuk bonds by June of the 2025–26 fiscal year.
So far, none of the sukuk bonds issued has matured, as their maturity periods were extended earlier, according to Bangladesh Bank officials.