Bangladesh’s public debt exceeded Tk 22 lakh crore by December 2025, as per a report in The Daily Star. The finance ministry’s quarterly bulletin revealed a significant increase in total public debt, rising from Tk 13.44 lakh crore in June 2022 to Tk 18.9 lakh crore by June 2024. By the end of December 2025, this figure had crossed Tk 22 lakh crore.
The report highlighted that an additional Tk 3 lakh crore in debt was accumulated during the interim administration’s tenure. Domestic borrowing played a major role in the debt stock, with domestic liabilities reaching Tk 12.5 lakh crore by December 2025, while foreign debt stood at Tk 9.59 lakh crore.
During the July-December period of the current fiscal year, government borrowing surged by 13% to Tk 62,428 crore compared to the same period a year earlier. Foreign borrowing decreased by 59% to Tk 10,130 crore, while domestic borrowing saw a 70% increase to Tk 52,298 crore.
Interest payments continued to rise due to the escalating debt burden, with total interest payments increasing by 22% year-on-year to Tk 71,253 crore during July-December. Interest costs on domestic debt alone rose by 25% to Tk 61,866 crore.
