CurioGrid is an independent financial comparison platform. We may earn a commission when you click through.
Personal Loans in Bangladesh: Rate, Fee, and Eligibility Guide
Compare seven Bangladesh personal loans by stated rates, fees, loan limits, guarantees, and repayment terms before applying.
Bangladesh personal-loan rates range from 8.10% to 15% across these listings, but the lowest advertised number is not automatically the cheapest borrowing option. Fees, variable pricing, guarantor rules, income requirements, and repayment length can change the total cost substantially.
CurioGrid is a comparison service, not a lender. The figures below come from the listed lenders and their published product information. Compare the representative rate, total repayment, and eligibility criteria before submitting an application.
Rates and terms shown are representative. Your actual rate depends on your credit profile and circumstances. This is not financial advice — always read the lender's terms before applying.
What to Check Before Comparing Rates
Start with the pricing method. A flat rate, a variable rate, and a base rate plus lender spread are not interchangeable. A quoted 8.10% base rate may not equal the final borrowing cost, while a 9% variable rate can change during repayment.
Next, check the amount and term. A longer tenure lowers the monthly installment but usually increases total interest. Fees matter too: a 0.50% charge on a BDT 20 lakh loan is BDT 10,000 before other costs, while a 1% charge doubles that amount.
Common mistakes borrowers make
- Comparing headline rates without checking whether they are flat, variable, or illustrative.
- Ignoring processing, prepayment, insurance, or guarantor requirements.
- Choosing the longest tenure solely because the monthly payment looks smaller.
- Assuming an online calculator is a final approval or repayment quote.
- Applying without checking employment length, income thresholds, or employer-category rules.
The most useful comparison is not “which lender has the lowest rate?” It is “which lender gives this borrower the lowest total repayment after fees, over a term they can comfortably afford?”
Lowest Published Rates, With Important Conditions
The cheapest stated pricing appears in products with eligibility or pricing caveats. DBBL and Rupali Bank publish low figures, but their structures differ sharply: one uses a base rate and the other uses a variable rate with guarantees.
Dutch-Bangla Bank Personal Loan
According to the Dutch-Bangla Bank loan page, the calculator supports loan amounts from BDT 50,000 to BDT 20 lakh, while the listed base rate is 8.10%. That is the lowest headline figure in this comparison, but it should not be treated as a guaranteed final rate. The lender also lists a processing fee of 0.50% to 1.00%, and the calculator is explicitly approximate. DBBL’s wide branch and ATM coverage is useful if you prefer in-person servicing, yet current-employer service requirements can rule out newer employees. Best for a borrower with stable employment who wants a low stated rate and broad physical access across Bangladesh.
Dutch-Bangla Bank Personal Loan
Rupali Bank Shohoj Rin
Rupali Bank’s Shohoj Rin lists a 9.00% variable rate, but this is not a like-for-like substitute for DBBL’s personal-loan listing. The published page describes financing for cottage and manufacturing activities, with a maximum loan of BDT 10 lakh and a maximum term of 48 months. Personal and third-party guarantees may be required, and the variable rate can change quarterly. That makes the product less convenient for someone seeking ordinary unsecured household borrowing, despite its low headline rate. Best for a government-linked or small-business borrower who can provide the required guarantees and manage changing installments.
Rupali Bank Shohoj Rin
Rupali’s 9% figure looks attractive, but the product description narrows its use case and adds guarantee requirements. DBBL is easier to compare as a general personal-loan listing, although its base-rate structure still requires careful confirmation. The next two banks publish higher pricing, but their eligibility and repayment details are easier to interpret.
BRAC Bank Personal Loan
BRAC Bank lists a 9.50% base rate and unsecured borrowing up to BDT 20 lakh, with loans under BDT 5 lakh requiring no guarantor. That last point is more useful than the headline rate for many salaried applicants: it can remove a practical barrier that Rupali Bank’s guarantee structure creates. The rate may rise with the lender’s spread, and employment documentation remains necessary. Repayment runs from 12 to 60 months, giving less runway than EBL’s 96-month maximum but avoiding an excessively long commitment. Best for a salaried borrower seeking unsecured financing below BDT 5 lakh without arranging a guarantor.
BRAC Bank Personal Loan
EBL Executive Loan
EBL Executive Loan is the strongest match for a larger borrowing need: the listing gives a range of 9% to 11%, up to BDT 40 lakh, and a maximum 96-month term. It also covers salaried workers, self-employed applicants, professionals, and landlords, which is broader than Bank Asia’s salaried-only rule. The price of that flexibility is a personal guarantor, and applicants at non-categorized employers may need income of at least BDT 30,000. A longer term can reduce the monthly installment, but it may increase total interest substantially. Best for a professional or self-employed applicant who needs more than BDT 20 lakh and can provide a guarantor.
EBL Executive Loan
Clearer Fees and Simpler Borrowing Rules
Not every borrower needs the lowest headline rate. Some need a transparent fee schedule, a joint applicant, or a lender that can handle a refinancing switch. These products cost more on paper, so the justification has to come from clarity or convenience rather than marketing language.
Bank Asia Personal Loan
Bank Asia publishes a 14.50% flat rate, a 0.50% processing fee, and a 0.50% prepayment fee. The fee disclosure is clearer than the pricing on products that only publish a base rate, but a flat rate should not be compared directly with a reducing-balance APR. The BDT 50,000 minimum and joint application with a spouse may help smaller salaried borrowers, while the five-year maximum term keeps the repayment horizon contained. Eligibility is narrow: the listing is for salaried individuals at approved organizations, not self-employed applicants. Best for a salaried borrower who values a clearly stated fee schedule and may apply jointly with a spouse.
Bank Asia Personal Loan
One Bank Personal Loan
One Bank lists a flat 15% rate, 12- to 60-month repayment, and a processing fee of 0.50% capped at BDT 15,000 for loans up to BDT 20 lakh. The useful exception is loan takeover: the bank states that no processing fee applies when switching an existing loan from another bank. That can matter more than a small rate difference if the current lender’s fees are high, but new borrowers are still looking at the highest headline rate in this group. Salaried applicants need six months with their current employer, while self-employed applicants face a BDT 50,000 income threshold. Best for an existing borrower refinancing from another bank who can use the fee-free takeover facility.
One Bank Personal Loan
Bank Asia is easier to assess on fees, while One Bank has a specific refinancing advantage. Neither beats DBBL, BRAC Bank, or EBL on stated pricing, so the higher cost needs a concrete reason: joint application flexibility, predictable charges, or a takeover that removes the processing fee.
For the published terms, consult the Bank Asia personal-loan page and the One Bank personal-loan page. Their official pages should take priority over comparison summaries if terms change.
Extra Coverage and Payroll Advantages
Standard Chartered sits between the low-rate banks and the higher flat-rate products. Its advertised 12.5% figure is illustrative, but the insurance and payroll eligibility details may matter to a borrower who values protection and an established international-bank service model.
Standard Chartered Personal Loan
Standard Chartered Bangladesh publishes an illustrative 12.5% annual interest figure and loan amounts beginning at BDT 50,000, with borrowing up to BDT 20 lakh. The product includes stated 200% insurance coverage and a top-up facility, features not listed in the same way for the lower-rate alternatives. Pricing and eligibility vary by profile: payroll clients have a BDT 26,000 minimum income, non-payroll applicants BDT 35,000, and self-employed applicants BDT 55,000. That makes payroll status especially valuable here, while the illustrative rate means applicants should request the actual repayment schedule before comparing it with EBL or BRAC Bank. Best for a salaried payroll client who values insurance coverage and top-up access more than the lowest available rate.
Standard Chartered Personal Loan
The Standard Chartered listing shows why a rate-only ranking can mislead. A payroll borrower may qualify under a lower income threshold and receive features that change the practical value of the loan, but the 12.5% illustrative rate is still materially above the 9% to 11% range listed by EBL. Review the Standard Chartered Bangladesh personal-loan page for the current calculator and product notes.
A Quick Decision Framework
- Need the lowest stated rate? Start with DBBL at a listed 8.10% base rate, then confirm the final rate, spread, fees, and employment criteria.
- Need more than BDT 20 lakh? EBL is the only listed product reaching BDT 40 lakh, with a 96-month maximum term and a personal-guarantor requirement.
- Need a smaller unsecured loan without a guarantor? BRAC Bank’s listing says loans below BDT 5 lakh do not require one.
- Need a transparent fee schedule? Bank Asia publishes 0.50% processing and 0.50% prepayment fees, but its 14.50% flat rate needs careful total-cost comparison.
- Switching from another bank? One Bank’s stated fee-free takeover facility may offset its higher 15% flat rate.
- Have payroll income with an international bank? Standard Chartered lists a lower BDT 26,000 income threshold for payroll clients, plus stated insurance coverage and top-up access.
My shortlist would be DBBL for a stable salaried borrower chasing a low starting rate, BRAC Bank for an unsecured loan below BDT 5 lakh, and EBL for a larger amount or longer repayment period. Rupali Bank deserves attention only when its business-purpose structure and guarantee rules fit. Bank Asia and One Bank make sense for specific convenience needs, not for the lowest total cost.
Before applying, ask each lender for the final interest method, processing fee, prepayment charge, insurance cost, monthly installment, and total repayment in writing. Then compare the same loan amount and term across lenders. That is the only fair rate comparison.