What “types and terms” means
The Department of National Savings runs several schemes, but ordinary savers mostly buy four: the 5-Year Bangladesh Sanchayapatra, the 3-Monthly Profit-Bearing Sanchayapatra, the Paribar (Family) Sanchayapatra and the Pensioner Sanchayapatra. In all four the money goes to the government, but the term, the timing of profit and who may buy are different.
Something many people miss: the profit rate is not one number but a schedule. There is one rate for the first year, a slightly higher one for the second, and so on, rising to the highest rate at maturity. The rate you see in the news is usually the maturity rate.
Say two neighbours, Rubina and Mr Karim, both plan to buy sanchayapatra. Rubina needs some money coming into the household every month, so a monthly-profit scheme suits her. Mr Karim needs no extra income now and wants one large sum in five years for his daughter’s wedding, so a scheme that pays all the profit at maturity fits him. The same “sanchayapatra”, but two different needs. The story is only an example.
Why it matters to an investor
- To match cash flow: whether profit arrives monthly, quarterly or all at the end has to fit the pattern of your household spending.
- To understand the cost of cashing in early: if you need the money before maturity, profit is worked out at a lower rate, and within the first year you get almost nothing.
- To know eligibility and limits: not every scheme is open to everyone, and each has its own purchase ceiling.
- To compare fairly: putting one scheme’s first-year rate against another’s maturity rate can lead to a wrong decision.
The four schemes at a glance
Besides each scheme’s own limit there is an overall limit. Since changes in 2019, the reported combined limit for the first three schemes has been Tk 50 lakh in a single name and Tk 1 crore jointly, with the Pensioner scheme counted separately. These limits change from time to time by government notification, so check the latest rules with the Department of National Savings before buying.
- 5-Year Bangladesh Sanchayapatra: a 5-year term; all the profit is paid with the principal at maturity. Any adult can buy, in a single or joint name. The scheme limit is Tk 30 lakh in a single name and Tk 60 lakh jointly.
- 3-Monthly Profit-Bearing Sanchayapatra: a 3-year term; profit every three months. The limit is Tk 30 lakh in a single name and Tk 60 lakh jointly.
- Paribar (Family) Sanchayapatra: a 5-year term; profit every month. Open to women aged 18 or over, people with physical disabilities, and men and women aged 65 or over. The limit is Tk 45 lakh; since January 2025 it can be bought only in a single name, not jointly.
- Pensioner Sanchayapatra: a 5-year term; profit every three months. Bought by retired government and semi-government employees from their lump-sum pension. The limit is Tk 50 lakh in a single name.
The stepped rate: what happens if you cash in early
For each scheme the government publishes a year-by-year rate schedule. For example, for 5-Year Bangladesh Sanchayapatra bought from July 2025 (in the tier up to Tk 7.5 lakh), the rate was 9.74% if cashed after the first year, 10.21% after the second, 10.72% after the third, 11.26% after the fourth and 11.83% at maturity. For the 3-monthly scheme over the same period, the steps were 10.65%, 11.22% and 11.82% at maturity.
If you cash in before a full year, you usually get no profit at all. And on schemes that pay profit regularly (monthly or quarterly), profit is paid at the maturity rate; if you cash in early, the difference from the lower rate is usually adjusted from your principal. The schedule in force on the day you buy applies for the whole term; later changes apply only to new purchases.
Source: UNB, July 2025; rates change
See the numbers as a table
| Profit rate a year | |
|---|---|
| After 1 year | 9.7% |
| After 2 years | 10.2% |
| After 3 years | 10.7% |
| After 4 years | 11.3% |
| At maturity (5 years) | 11.8% |
What happens at maturity
At maturity, the principal (and, on the 5-year scheme, all the accumulated profit) is paid into your registered bank account. If you buy again, it counts as a new purchase, so the rate, purchase limits and tax rules in force at that time apply, not the old ones.
- Two rate tiers: since January 2025, one rate applies if your total across all schemes is up to Tk 7.5 lakh, and a slightly lower one if it is above. So before a new purchase it helps to add up all the certificates you already hold.
Worked example
- Say you buy a Tk 1,00,000 5-year certificate, with a schedule like July 2025’s: 11.83% at maturity, 10.21% if cashed after two years. Assume profit is worked out as simple interest, and leave tax aside.
- Held the full 5 years: Tk 1,00,000 × 11.83% × 5 = Tk 59,150 profit.
- Cashed after 2 years: Tk 1,00,000 × 10.21% × 2 = Tk 20,420. At the maturity rate those two years would have earned Tk 23,660, so about Tk 3,240 less. Cashed after 10 months: usually zero profit.
Result: before buying, ask whether the money can stay for the full term. The rates, tier and method are assumed for the example; the real schedule is in the notification in force when you buy.
Common mistakes
- Assuming the maturity rate in the news is what you get whenever you cash in.
- Putting money you will need in two years into a 5-year scheme, then cashing in early for less profit.
- Thinking a reinvestment at maturity keeps the old rate. It is a new purchase, so the new rate applies.
- Adding up each scheme’s limit as if they stack. There is an overall limit too.
A scheme is a term plus a profit pattern: first decide how long the money can stay and when you need the profit, then look at the whole rate schedule, not just the maturity rate.