Women’s participation in Bangladesh’s banking and non-banking financial sectors declined over the past year, according to a recent report published by Bangladesh Bank. As of December 2025, the total workforce in banks and non-banking financial institutions stood at 218,487 employees, of which 36,080 were women and 182,407 were men. Women therefore constitute 16.5 percent of the sector’s workforce, while men account for 83.5 percent.
The report shows that the number of women employed in the banking sector fell by 2,588 within one year. At the end of December 2024, banks employed 37,649 women. By December 2025, that number had decreased to 35,061. A similar decline was observed in non-banking financial institutions, where the number of female employees dropped from 1,067 in 2024 to 1,019 in 2025, representing a reduction of 48 women.
Most women working in the banking sector are employed in private commercial banks, where 22,983 female employees were recorded at the end of 2025. State-owned commercial banks employed 9,147 women, while 1,947 women worked in specialized banks and 984 in foreign commercial banks.
However, the proportion of women employees is highest in foreign banks, where women make up over 25 percent of the workforce out of a total of 3,931 employees. In contrast, women represent around 16 percent of the workforce in private commercial banks despite their higher absolute numbers.
The report also shows disparities across institutional hierarchies. Women’s participation is highest at the entry level, exceeding 17 percent, while mid-level positions account for about 16.19 percent women employees. Representation is lowest at senior and policy-making levels, where women constitute only 10.35 percent of employees in the financial sector.
Source: Ajker Potrika
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