The first private sector bank in Bangladesh is ---

AB Bank (formerly Arab Bangladesh Bank) is a leading private sector bank in Bangladesh established on 31 December 1981.

This was the first joint venture private bank in Bangladesh. On 14 November 2007 Bangladesh bank approved the name change to AB Bank from Arab Bangladesh Bank.

A former deputy managing director was charged with embezzling 3.25 billion taka from the bank.

In 2014 AB bank completed its acquisition of Cashlink Bangladesh Limited.

A former vice president and his wife were sentenced to prison terms for embezzlement from the bank in 2016.[7