Bangladesh's agent-banking sector continued to expand steadily in terms of deposits, loans, and transactions, as of September 2025, driven largely by strong rural participation and a rebound in urban activity.
Deposits rose 20.6 per cent year-on-year, reaching over Tk 471.96 billion in that month, up from over Tk 391.26 billion in September 2024, according to the latest Bangladesh Bank (BB) data.
Compared to September 2024, urban and rural deposit balances increased by 13.1 per cent and 22.3 per cent, respectively.
Loan disbursement through agent banking also remained buoyant in this period.
Total outstanding loans climbed 19.6 per cent year-on-year to Tk 111.28 billion in September this year, fuelled by a 24.7 per cent rise in urban areas and 16.7 per cent in rural ones.
In addition, the Sylhet division exhibited a remarkable 35 per cent annual growth in loans over the period.
The number of loan accounts stood at 231,171 in September 2025, an increase of 5.5 per cent from a year earlier.
Urban loan accounts surged by 13.3 per cent, far outpacing the modest 3.2 per cent rise in rural ones.
Transactions through agents also continued an upward trajectory.
Between July and September 2025, the total number of transactions reached 26.26 million, marking a 5.9 per cent annual rise.
Urban areas posted a solid 12.1 per cent increase, while rural transactions grew by only 4.4 per cent.
In value terms, transactions amounted to over Tk 1.40 trillion, up 15.2 per cent year-on-year.
The urban transaction value grew by 16.4 per cent, and the rural one by 15 per cent during the period.
While female participation in agent ownership edged up slightly, progress remained far below regulatory expectations.
The number of female agents rose by just 0.6 per cent year-on-year, with growth concentrated in urban areas (4.2 per cent), while rural ownership slipped by 0.3 per cent.
Female deposit accounts increased by 6.6 per cent, and female loan accounts by 3.8 per cent, indicating stronger customer participation compared to agent ownership.
As per the circular letter 10 issued by the BB's Banking Regulation and Policy Department on May 8 this year, banks are required to ensure 50 per cent female ownership among all agents.
However, till September 2025, female ownership made up only about 9.46 per cent of all agents, slightly higher than the 9.3 per cent recorded in June 2025.
Experts say despite the overall growth in deposits, loans, and transactions, female participation in agent ownership remains worryingly low.
The slight year-on-year rise - driven mostly by urban areas - still falls far short of expectations and reflects persistent barriers for women entering the agent network, they say.
They also note that women's engagement as customers is improving faster than their involvement as agents.
The steady increase in female deposit and loan accounts highlights a growing reliance on agent banking, even as women remain underrepresented on the service-provider side, they add.
"The latest agent banking data shows solid expansion, especially in rural areas, which is encouraging for deepening financial inclusion," says Dr Masrur Reaz, chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh.
"However, the persistently low share of female-owned agents is a serious structural gap. Despite regulatory directives, banks are not moving fast enough to build a gender-balanced agent network.
"Without targeted incentives, operational support, and capacity-building programmes for women entrepreneurs, the industry will miss both its regulatory obligations and its broader social objectives," he explains.
He adds that the strong growth in deposits and transactions demonstrates rising public trust, but "to sustain this momentum, regulators and banks must prioritise quality agent services, gender inclusion, and stronger monitoring frameworks."
sajibur@gmail.com
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