Bandhan Bank Initiates Postal Ballot for Appointment of Mr. Debashish Mukherjee as Independent Director
Bandhan Bank has initiated a postal ballot process under Regulation 30 of SEBI LODR to appoint Mr. Debashish Mukherjee as Independent Director for a three-year term effective March 25, 2026. Remote e-voting via KFin Technologies is scheduled from May 07 to June 05, 2026, with results to be announced on or before June 07, 2026. Mr. Mukherjee, aged 60, holds an MBA (Finance) and brings over three decades of banking experience across Punjab National Bank, United Bank of India, and Canara Bank.

*this image is generated using AI for illustrative purposes only.
Bandhan Bank has issued a postal ballot notice dated April 28, 2026, pursuant to Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, seeking shareholder approval for the appointment of Mr. Debashish Mukherjee (DIN: 08193978) as an Independent Director. The notice was filed by Company Secretary Indranil Banerjee on May 06, 2026, and simultaneously uploaded on the Bank's website. The cut-off date for determining eligible members entitled to vote is Friday, May 01, 2026, and voting is to be conducted exclusively through remote e-voting facilitated by KFin Technologies Limited ('KFintech').
Postal Ballot Details
The resolution being put to shareholders is a Special Resolution for the appointment of Mr. Debashish Mukherjee as an Independent Director of the Bank. The key parameters of the postal ballot process are summarised below:
| Parameter: | Details |
|---|---|
| Resolution Type: | Special Resolution |
| Cut-off Date: | Friday, May 01, 2026 |
| E-voting Commencement: | Thursday, May 07, 2026 at 9.00 A.M. (IST) |
| E-voting End: | Friday, June 05, 2026 at 5.00 P.M. (IST) |
| Results Announcement: | On or before Sunday, June 07, 2026 |
| E-Voting Event Number (EVEN): | 9693 |
| E-voting Platform: | KFin Technologies Limited (KFintech) |
| Scrutinizer: | CS Hansraj Jaria (FCS No.: 7703 / CP No.: 19394) |
| Alternate Scrutinizer: | CS Rakesh Agrawal (FCS No.: 8792 / CP No.: 9014) |
The Postal Ballot Notice is available on the Bank's website at https://www.bandhan.bank.in/postal-ballot . Results, along with the Scrutinizer's Report, will be placed on the Bank's website and KFintech's website, and communicated simultaneously to BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India Limited.
Board Approval and Regulatory Background
The Board of Directors of the Bank, at its meeting held on February 12, 2026, pursuant to the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee ('NRC'), approved the appointment of Mr. Debashish Mukherjee as an Additional Director (Independent) and as an Independent Director for a term of three consecutive years, not liable to retire by rotation. The appointments were subject to approval of the Ministry of Finance, as the proposed appointment fell within the cooling-off period of one year from his retirement from Canara Bank. Upon receipt of the Ministry of Finance approval on March 25, 2026, his appointments on the Board became effective from that date.
Pursuant to Section 161 of the Companies Act, 2013 and Regulation 17(1C) of the SEBI LODR, Mr. Mukherjee can hold office as an Additional Director up to the date of the ensuing Annual General Meeting or up to three months from the date of his appointment, whichever is earlier. The NRC has assessed and determined that Mr. Mukherjee is a fit and proper person to be appointed as a Director, as per norms prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India, and that he fulfils all conditions specified in the Companies Act, the SEBI LODR, and applicable RBI guidelines. The Board has confirmed that Mr. Mukherjee is not debarred from holding the office of a director by virtue of any order by SEBI or any other authority.
Profile of Mr. Debashish Mukherjee
Mr. Debashish Mukherjee brings over three decades of banking experience across three major public sector banks. He is an MBA (Finance) from IISWBM, Kolkata (under University of Calcutta) and is CAIIB qualified. He began his banking career with Punjab National Bank as a Financial Analyst in scale II in 1994, subsequently joined United Bank of India as an Assistant General Manager (Credit) in 2006, and took charge as Executive Director of Canara Bank on February 19, 2018, superannuating on May 31, 2025.
The key details of his profile, as required under Regulation 36(3) of the SEBI LODR, are as follows:
| Parameter: | Details |
|---|---|
| Age: | 60 years |
| Qualification: | MBA (Finance); CAIIB; B. Sc. (Hons.); B.A. (Econ.) |
| Date of Appointment on Board: | March 25, 2026 |
| Tenure: | Three consecutive years, effective March 25, 2026 up to March 24, 2029 |
| Areas of Expertise: | Banking, Risk Management, MSME, Digital Banking, Human Resources, Finance, Law and Business Management |
| Other Directorships (Listed): | Nil |
| Other Directorships (Unlisted): | Nil |
| Listed Entities Resigned from (Past 3 Years): | Can Fin Homes Limited w.e.f. May 31, 2025 |
| Equity Shares Held in the Bank (as on April 24, 2026): | Nil |
| Board Meetings Attended (FY 2026-27, up to April 28, 2026): | 2/2 |
| Relationship with Directors/KMP: | None |
As Executive Director of Canara Bank, Mr. Mukherjee oversaw functions spanning Human Resources, Risk Management, Overseas Banking, Treasury, and Associates & Subsidiaries. He served as Nominee Director on the boards of Can Fin Homes Ltd., Canara Robeco Asset Management Company, and Canara HSBC Life Insurance Company, and was Chairman of the board of Canara Bank Securities Ltd. His appointment is in compliance with Section 10A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, on account of his requisite experience and expertise as required under Section 10A(2) of the BR Act.
Remuneration and Terms of Appointment
Mr. Mukherjee will be eligible for sitting fees and reimbursement of expenses for attending Board and Committee meetings, as applicable, and fixed remuneration as may be approved by the Board and Members from time to time, in terms of Chapter III(H) of the RBI (Commercial Banks – Governance) Directions, 2025 dated November 28, 2025, from the date of his appointment till the end of his tenure, on a proportionate basis. He is appointed as an Independent Director, not liable to retire by rotation, for a period of three years effective March 25, 2026. Save and except Mr. Debashish Mukherjee and his relatives, none of the other Directors or Key Managerial Personnel of the Bank or their relatives are, in any way, concerned or interested, financially or otherwise, in the resolution pertaining to his appointment.
Source: None/Company/INE545U01014/5abb1e79ad674c35.pdf
Historical Stock Returns for Bandhan Bank
| 1 Day | 5 Days | 1 Month | 6 Months | 1 Year | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -0.73% | +3.20% | +38.21% | +34.09% | +29.17% | -30.68% |
How might Mr. Mukherjee's extensive public sector banking background influence Bandhan Bank's strategy in MSME lending and risk management, given the bank's historically microfinance-heavy portfolio?
With Bandhan Bank strengthening its independent board composition, what regulatory or strategic milestones could the bank be positioning itself for in the near to medium term?
Given that shareholder approval is still pending until June 2026, what is the likelihood of dissent from institutional investors, and how could a rejection impact Bandhan Bank's governance standing with RBI?


































