Faster, simpler home finance BRAC Bank PLC.

Md. Mahiul Islam
Deputy Managing Director & Head of Retail Banking
BRAC Bank PLC.

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“Our goal is not just to grow the portfolio. We want to ensure sustainable, digital and inclusive growth.”

BRAC Bank PLC is using digitalisation, flexible repayment structures and in-house property assessment to make home financing faster and more accessible. Md. Mahiul Islam, Deputy Managing Director & Head of Retail Banking, says affordability, documentation gaps and complex property verification remain key barriers, while technology can shorten the lending journey without weakening risk controls.

The Daily Star (TDS): What are the main barriers preventing buyers from accessing formal home finance?

Md. Mahiul Islam (MMI): The key challenges are property and income documentation, affordability and dependence on informal income sources. Property documents are not always readily available or properly maintained, while rising property prices, construction costs, registration expenses and borrowing rates have made homeownership increasingly difficult. Limited awareness of formal housing finance solutions also remains a constraint.

TDS: What financing and repayment options does BRAC Bank offer?

MMI: We provide financing for house or flat purchase, construction, extension, renovation and takeover of loans from other banks and financial institutions. Home loans are available up to BDT 4 crore, with financing of up to 70% of property value and tenors of up to 25 years.

We also offer longer tenures, attractive takeover solutions and repayment structures tailored to customers’ income profiles and repayment capacity. Where feasible, financing can be customised within the bank’s policy framework to reduce the monthly instalment burden.

TDS: How are you addressing income-proof and property-verification delays?

MMI: Where policy permits, we take a pragmatic approach to income assessment to better understand repayment capacity. For properties, our in-house civil engineers inspect construction quality, condition and marketability, while our legal team reviews ownership history, title documents, encumbrances and regulatory approvals.

We also work with established and promising developers to facilitate financing for legally sound projects. For under-construction properties, tripartite agreements among the customer, developer and bank provide greater clarity and protection.

TDS: How is digitalisation improving the home-loan process?

MMI: We are working to bring the entire journey, from application to disbursement, onto a digital platform. This will reduce repeated branch visits, allow customers to track application status and cut manual processing.

Our priority is reducing turnaround time while ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth. Greater use of data and technology in credit assessment should also make decisions faster and more accurate.