Sonali Bank, the country's largest state-owned bank, logged operating profits of Tk 2,175 crore last year, claiming it was the highest among banks.

It was also a year-on-year increase of over 27 per cent, up from Tk 1,710 crore. 

"Despite the pandemic, we have been running our operations at full throttle keeping all branches open and providing all services seamlessly," CEO and Managing Director Md Ataur Rahman Prodhan told The Daily Star yesterday.

"So our income from different sources including non-funds increased," he said.

The bank's deposits jumped Tk 10,000 crore to over Tk 1.25 lakh crore, he added.

"The massive recovery drive aimed at loan defaulters also helped the bank improve the financial health," said Prodhan.

The bank has attained a "satisfactory operating profit" in the outgoing year amid a slower growth both in foreign trade as well as in private sector credit due to the coronavirus pandemic, the bank said in a press release yesterday.

Prodhan alongside the bank's top executives cut a cake to celebrate the milestone achievement in the conference room of the bank's head office recently. They were joined by executives across the country through videoconferencing.