Why City Bank PLC Is One of the Best Banks in Bangladesh

When choosing a bank, customers usually look beyond a single factor. Profitability matters, but so do financial strength, asset quality, digital banking, customer service, innovation, awards, accessibility and the bank's ability to remain resilient during difficult economic conditions.

By those measures, City Bank PLC has built one of the strongest positions among Bangladesh's private commercial banks. It would be too absolute to say that City Bank is objectively "the best bank" for every customer—different banks excel in different areas—but its combination of financial performance, digital innovation, international recognition and product diversity makes a very strong case for calling it one of Bangladesh's leading banks.

The numbers make that argument even more compelling.

A Bank That Keeps Getting Stronger

City Bank's recent financial performance is perhaps the clearest reason for its strong reputation.

In 2025, City Bank reported a record consolidated profit after tax of Tk 1,324 crore, up 31% from Tk 1,014 crore in 2024. Its standalone profit was Tk 1,306 crore, while four subsidiaries contributed another Tk 18 crore.

The bank's loan interest income also increased significantly, rising 24% from Tk 4,403 crore to Tk 5,452 crore. At the same time, the bank improved its asset quality: its non-performing loan (NPL) ratio fell from 3.7% in 2024 to 2.5% at the end of 2025.

Deposits also crossed an important milestone. City Bank's deposits grew 23% year-on-year to Tk 63,170 crore by the end of 2025.

These numbers matter because strong banking is not simply about making money. A good bank needs to grow while controlling credit risk, maintaining liquidity and building customer confidence.

City Bank's recent results show that it has been able to do several of these things simultaneously.

The Numbers at a Glance

Here are some of City Bank's key figures from its recent reporting:

The 2024 annual report also reported more than 5,300 employees, 480 agent outlets and 232 SME unit offices, demonstrating that City Bank combines a substantial physical network with an increasingly digital operating model.

How Does City Bank Compare With Other Leading Banks?

Bangladesh has several excellent private commercial banks, including BRAC Bank, Eastern Bank and Dutch-Bangla Bank. Therefore, a meaningful comparison should focus on specific indicators rather than simply declaring one bank the winner.

For example, Eastern Bank reported Tk 901 crore profit in 2025, compared with City Bank's Tk 1,324 crore. EBL's 2025 ROE was 19.13%, while its solo NPL ratio was 2.24%.

BRAC Bank's publicly reported figures for the first half of 2025 showed Tk 620.2 crore profit after tax, ROE of 15.71%, deposits of approximately Tk 77,995 crore, loans and advances of approximately Tk 64,483 crore, and an NPL ratio of 3.37%.

That comparison reveals something important: City Bank is not necessarily the largest bank in every category. BRAC Bank, for example, has a larger deposit base in the cited June 2025 figures. EBL also demonstrated exceptionally strong asset quality.

But City Bank stands out for the combination of profitability, growth, digital adoption, international recognition and diversified financial services.

In other words, its strength is not based on one statistic.

City Bank's Exceptional ROE

One of the most impressive indicators in City Bank's 2024 performance was its 26.1% Return on Equity (ROE).

ROE measures how efficiently a company generates profit from shareholders' equity. A higher ROE generally indicates that a bank is using its capital efficiently, although ROE should always be evaluated alongside risk and capital adequacy.

City Bank's 26.1% figure is particularly notable when compared with EBL's 19.13% solo ROE in 2025 and BRAC Bank's 15.71% ROE in its June 2025 reporting.

This does not mean City Bank is automatically superior in every respect, but it does demonstrate how effectively the bank generated returns from its capital during the period.

Citytouch: Banking That Fits in Your Pocket

Perhaps the most visible example of City Bank's innovation is Citytouch, its digital banking platform.

City Bank launched Citytouch in 2013, making it one of the early pioneers of mobile banking in Bangladesh. The bank says Citytouch now offers more than 100 services, while more than 70% of its customers use one or more digital channels for everyday banking.

The 2024 annual report recorded approximately 747,549 Citytouch users and more than 27 million Citytouch transactions during the year.

The platform allows customers to perform many everyday banking activities without visiting a branch, including:

Fund transfers

Account statement viewing

Mobile recharge

Credit-card payments

Utility-bill payments

Debit and credit card management

PIN changes

Cheque-book management

Fixed-deposit opening

Deposit pension scheme services

Transfers to bKash

Digital financial services and investment-related facilities

City Bank has also introduced features such as virtual cards and cash-by-code withdrawals.

The bank has recently positioned Citytouch as an AI-powered digital banking platform, further emphasizing its strategy of moving from conventional internet banking toward a broader fintech ecosystem.

This is one of the areas where City Bank has arguably created a significant competitive advantage.

Almost 80% of Transactions Without Visiting a Branch

City Bank has highlighted another impressive digital-adoption statistic: approximately 80% of its transactions are now completed without customers physically visiting a bank branch.

That shift is important for Bangladesh.

A modern bank should not force customers to visit a branch for every simple task. Digital banking reduces waiting time, improves convenience and can lower transaction costs for both customers and banks.

City Bank's strategy can therefore be described as:

A digital bank with a physical presence.

The physical branch remains important for complex services, relationship banking and customers who prefer face-to-face interaction, while Citytouch handles a growing share of everyday transactions.

More Than Just a Banking App

City Bank's digital strategy goes beyond simply checking balances or transferring money.

The bank has used Citytouch as a gateway to a broader financial ecosystem. Its 2023 annual report highlighted the introduction of virtual cards and digital wealth-management capabilities, including the ability for Citytouch customers to open a BO account through the platform.

The Banker also highlighted City Bank's integration of investment services into Citytouch, creating a more unified platform between banking and brokerage services.

This is an important development because the future of financial services is increasingly moving toward one digital platform for banking, payments, investments, cards and financial management.

A Pioneer in Digital Lending

City Bank has also partnered with bKash to introduce Bangladesh's first AI-driven digital loan, according to the bank.

The bank has described its digital nano-loan initiative with bKash as the country's first digital nano-loan, designed to improve financial inclusion for people who may not have traditionally had easy access to formal credit.

This demonstrates an important shift in banking philosophy.

Instead of expecting customers to come to a branch, submit large amounts of paperwork and wait for traditional loan processing, technology can allow financial services to reach customers through platforms they already use.

A Strong Record of International Recognition

City Bank's reputation is not based solely on its own marketing.

Independent international financial publications have repeatedly recognized the bank.

In 2025, Global Finance named City Bank the Best Bank in Bangladesh in its World's Best Banks awards for Asia-Pacific. Global Finance says its assessment considers factors including asset growth, profitability, geographic reach, strategic relationships, new-business development and innovation.

City Bank was also named Best Bank in Bangladesh by FinanceAsia in 2025.

Looking further back, City Bank has received multiple awards from organizations including Global Finance, Asiamoney, FinanceAsia, The Asset and other international and local institutions.

Its 2024 annual report stated that the bank had received more than 60 awards over the previous 12 years.

SME Banking: Another Major Strength

City Bank's strength is not limited to retail customers and credit cards.

SME banking is another area where the bank has received international recognition.

Euromoney named City Bank the Best Bank for SMEs in Bangladesh in 2025. Euromoney highlighted the bank's loan performance, women's financial inclusion initiatives and rural outreach.

As of December 2024, Euromoney reported that City Bank had an outstanding SME loan balance of approximately Tk 4,152 crore, with NPLs accounting for just 1.76% of that portfolio.

The bank disbursed approximately Tk 3,676 crore in SME loans, with 26% allocated to women entrepreneurs. Its agent-banking operation had also onboarded approximately 375,000 accounts and collected around Tk 827 crore in deposits.

These figures demonstrate that City Bank is not simply focused on large corporations or wealthy customers. It is also playing a significant role in financing entrepreneurs and smaller businesses.

American Express: A Unique Competitive Advantage

One of City Bank's most distinctive advantages in Bangladesh is its relationship with American Express.

City Bank operates American Express card services in Bangladesh, giving customers access to a premium international card ecosystem combined with City Bank's local banking infrastructure.

This has helped the bank establish a particularly strong position in the country's credit-card and premium banking segments.

The bank's strategy has also extended into Islamic banking. City Islamic provides Shariah-compliant personal and corporate banking products, while City Bank states that it was the first conventional bank in Bangladesh to become a member of AAOIFI.

That combination—conventional banking, Islamic banking, premium cards, SME finance, corporate banking and digital services—gives City Bank a remarkably diversified business model.

Sustainability Is Becoming a Core Strength

Banking today is not only about profit.

Banks increasingly influence how capital flows into sustainable businesses, renewable energy, green projects and socially responsible investments.

City Bank's 2024 annual report reported a green investment portfolio of approximately Tk 3,335 crore and a sustainable investment portfolio of approximately Tk 40,234 crore. It also reported being ranked among Bangladesh's top sustainable banks.

The bank has also been recognized for sustainability initiatives, including an SDG Brand Champion Award in Climate & Environment.

Bangladesh Bank recognized City Bank as the Top Sustainable Bank of 2024, according to reporting on the bank's performance.

A Bank That Has Earned Trust Through Consistency

Perhaps the most important quality of a bank is trust.

Financial institutions deal with people's salaries, savings, businesses, investments and long-term financial plans. Customers therefore need a bank that can remain dependable not only when the economy is strong but also during difficult periods.

City Bank's recent performance suggests a bank focused on disciplined growth.

In 2025, it increased profit by 31%, increased deposits by 23%, grew loan interest income by 24% and reduced its NPL ratio from 3.7% to 2.5%.

That combination of growth and improving asset quality is one of the strongest arguments in favor of City Bank.

What About the Competition?

It is important to acknowledge that other Bangladeshi banks have their own strengths.

BRAC Bank has an exceptionally large deposit and loan franchise and a strong reputation in SME and inclusive banking. Its June 2025 figures showed deposits of roughly Tk 77,995 crore, loans of Tk 64,483 crore and 1,118 agent-banking outlets.

Eastern Bank has demonstrated excellent asset quality and operational efficiency, reporting a 2.24% solo NPL ratio, 19.13% ROE and 40.36% cost-to-income ratio in 2025.

Dutch-Bangla Bank remains particularly well known for its extensive ATM and digital-payment infrastructure and also delivered strong 2025 profitability, with net profit after tax of approximately Tk 965 crore.

So the argument for City Bank should not be that every competitor is weaker.

Rather, City Bank's advantage comes from the breadth of its strengths:

Strong profitability + improving asset quality + digital innovation + premium cards + SME banking + corporate banking + Islamic banking + sustainability + international recognition.

That combination is difficult to ignore.

The Awards Tell a Bigger Story

Awards alone cannot determine whether a bank is good. However, when awards repeatedly align with strong financial performance and product innovation, they become meaningful.

Among City Bank's notable recognitions are:

Best Bank in Bangladesh — Global Finance, 2025

Best Bank in Bangladesh — FinanceAsia, 2025

Best Bank in Bangladesh — Global Finance, 2023

Best Bank in Bangladesh — Global Finance, 2022

Best Bank in Bangladesh — FinanceAsia, 2022

Best Sustainable Finance Bank in Bangladesh — Global Finance, 2022

Best Retail Bank in Bangladesh — Retail Banker Asia Trailblazer Awards, 2022

Best Digital Bank in Bangladesh — Asiamoney, 2021

Best Consumer Digital Bank in Bangladesh — Global Finance, 2021

Best Premium Banking Services in Bangladesh — Asiamoney

Best Bank for SMEs in Bangladesh — Euromoney, 2025

Bank of the Year, Bangladesh — The Banker, 2025

The 2025 recognition from The Banker specifically highlighted City Bank's fintech and green initiatives and its integration of investment services into Citytouch.

The Bigger Picture

City Bank's story is ultimately about transformation.

A bank that once primarily competed through branches, loans and conventional banking services is increasingly competing through technology, data, digital experiences, ecosystems and financial innovation.

Citytouch is at the center of that transformation.

The bank's physical network provides the traditional banking infrastructure customers still need, while Citytouch provides the digital layer that allows customers to bank whenever and wherever they want.

At the same time, City Bank continues to expand its presence in SME banking, corporate finance, Islamic banking, wealth management, cards, sustainable finance and financial inclusion.

That diversification reduces the bank's dependence on any single business line.

Final Verdict: Is City Bank Really the Best Bank in Bangladesh?

There is no universal answer because "best" depends on what a customer values.

Someone looking for the largest agent-banking network may prefer another bank. Someone focused specifically on SME banking may have several excellent alternatives. A customer prioritizing a particular branch location, ATM network, interest rate or loan product may make a different choice.

But if the question is:

Which Bangladeshi private bank offers one of the strongest combinations of financial performance, digital banking, innovation, international recognition, premium services and diversified banking products?

City Bank PLC has a very strong claim.

Its Tk 1,324 crore record profit in 2025, 31% profit growth, 23% deposit growth, 2.5% NPL ratio, high historical ROE, millions of customers, rapidly growing digital adoption and award-winning Citytouch platform demonstrate that its reputation is backed by measurable results.

More importantly, City Bank appears to understand where banking is going.

The future is not simply about having more branches.

It is about providing secure, intelligent, fast and convenient financial services wherever the customer is.

And with Citytouch, digital lending, American Express, SME banking, Islamic banking, wealth-management integration and sustainability initiatives, City Bank is positioning itself not merely as a traditional bank—but as a technology-driven financial ecosystem for the next generation of Bangladesh.

That is ultimately why City Bank PLC can make a compelling case for being one of the best banks in Bangladesh.