Dhaka, Feb. 28 -- An independent market study has found strong commercial demand for London-based Sonali Bangladesh UK (SBUK) to transition into a fully licensed UK bank, highlighting widespread support from the Bangladeshi diaspora in the UK as well as from Bangladeshi financial institutions engaged in international trade.

SBUK, a part-owned subsidiary of Sonali Bank PLC- Bangladesh's largest state-owned commercial bank - commissioned the study as part of its application for a UK banking license. The study set out to assess whether there was genuine market appetite for SBUK's proposed retail, business and correspondent banking services in both the UK and Bangladesh.

The findings indicate strong and measurable demand for SBUK's services...