The branch network of scheduled banks has expanded fast in the rural and unbanked areas of the country, playing a significant role in rural development and economic growth, bankers said.
It also helped deepen the financial inclusion by bringing the underserved people under the coverage, they added.
"The authorities of the banking sector have strengthened their footing rapidly taking advantage of the bank-friendly policies. This has been possible mainly thanks to efforts by the central bank," a senior banker told the FE.
Presently, the bank clients in rural areas were facing less in transaction harassment than any time in the past, he mentioned.
According to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data, both private and state-owned banks have opened a total of 9,538 branches -- 5,406 in rural areas and 4,132 in urban areas -- across the country as in October last.
The number of branches was 9,040 -- 5,150 rural and 3,890 urban -- at the end of December, 2014. It was 8,685 -- 4,962 rural and 3,723 urban -- as of December, 2013.
"The central bank is encouraging the scheduled banks to open their branches in the less privileged urban areas having wider rural coverage," said a senior executive of the central bank.
He said the banks continued to expand their penetration in rural areas in line with the BB policy/guideline.
Earlier, the central bank had introduced the guideline for bringing the unbanked people under the banking network.
As per the guideline, 1:1 or 50 per cent of the bank branches to be opened in a calendar year must be in the rural areas.
The Private Commercial Banks (PCBs) have beefed up opening the rural branches, said an executive of a private bank.
Rural branches have traditionally been supporting the rural economic development and growth by supplying funds to rural businesses, bankers said.
An official said that innovations in mobile banking through the commercial banks have brought a revolution in financial transactions in the rural areas, in addition to the access points.
Presently, more than 80 per cent people are getting banking services, a BB official said.
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