Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered’s 117-year uninterrupted presence in Bangladesh makes for quite a sales pitch. So does being the only multinational, universal bank in an economy tipped to grow 7% in 2022, even as inflation, geopolitical turmoil and further bouts of Covid-19 cloud the outlook.
But local chief executive Naser Ezaz Bijoy’s bank wins our top international bank honour because of the pivotal role that Standard Chartered plays in keeping open access to the Bangladeshi economy as it attracts more manufacturing contracts.
The same goes for foreign investors enamoured with Bangladesh’s vast potential in sectors from energy and power to transportation and urban development.
StanChart boasts a near-20% share of all export and import financing, as well as an outsized role in power-generation financing and small and medium-sized enterprise lending by foreign banks.
It commands a leading position in retail finance too, with a strong share of bank card spending activity, one of the fast-growing internet banking apps and a track record for product innovation that prods local players to raise their game.
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