City Group has long been regarded as one of Bangladesh’s most successful local conglomerates. From edible oil and consumer goods to commodities and manufacturing, it built its reputation on entrepreneurship, market insight and execution. With annual revenue estimated at around Tk 32,000 crore and nearly 25,000 employees, the group became a symbol of local business success. Today, the same conglomerate is at the centre of a banking sector rescue effort involving 36 banks and more than Tk 26,600 crore in outstanding loans. Although lenders believe City Group remains fundamentally viable, the need for a coordinated restructuring raises two questions: what pushed one of the country’s strongest business groups into financial stress, and what lessons can other conglomerates learn? The answer
