Bangladesh Bank has refuted media reports suggesting that six weak banks are set to be merged under government control by July this year, calling the information “inaccurate.”

Central bank spokesperson Arief Hossain Khan issued a clarification on Friday, stating that while discussions around banking sector reforms are ongoing, the reports quoting Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder on a merger plan involving six specific banks were incorrect.

“National Bank follows conventional banking, with no scope for inclusion in the restructuring of Islamic banks,” Khan said, pushing back against claims made in a Channel 24 report earlier in the week.

The Channel 24 segment, aired Monday night, cited the governor as saying that Social Islami Bank Ltd (SIBL), First Security Islami Bank, Global Islami Bank, Union Bank, EXIM Bank, and National Bank would be merged as part of a government-led restructuring effort. The report also claimed that the interim government would temporarily nationalise the banks, inject capital, and later seek foreign investors.

Although the Bangladesh Bank governor did confirm that any merger would be carried out under the provisions of the Bank Company (Amendment) Act, he did not name any specific institutions, nor did he confirm the nationalisation timeline mentioned in the media.

He acknowledged that the central bank is currently providing liquidity support to several struggling banks but maintained that any further actions would follow legal frameworks and due process.

The speculation has added to uncertainty in the financial sector, especially among depositors and shareholders of the banks named in the report.

This is not the first time that speculation over bank mergers has stirred public concern. As Bangladesh’s banking sector grapples with rising non-performing loans and eroding capital bases in certain institutions, calls for structural reform have intensified.

However, the central bank has repeatedly urged caution in interpreting media reports, emphasizing that any merger or resolution process would be transparent and conducted under regulatory supervision.