Bangladesh's agent banking sector continued to post strong growth in deposits and loan balances by March 2026 despite decline in the number of agents, outlets and transaction volumes, indicating sustained public confidence in branchless banking services, particularly in rural areas.
According to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank (BB), total deposit balances in the sector increased by 18.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Tk 505.63 billion in March 2026 from Tk 426.33 billion a year earlier.
Rural deposits recorded stronger growth, rising 20.9 per cent to Tk 416.95 billion, while urban deposits grew 8.7 per cent to Tk 88.67 billion during the period.
On a quarterly basis, overall deposit balances increased by 2.4 per cent from December 2025, with all divisions posting positive growth trends.
However, several operational indicators showed a downward trend.
The total number of agents declined by 4.1 per cent year-on-year by March 2026. Urban agents fell by 2.5 per cent, while rural agents dropped by 4.4 per cent.
The number of agent banking outlets also decreased by 3.3 per cent to 20,339 in March 2026 from 21,023 a year earlier. Urban outlets fell by 1.6 per cent and rural outlets by 3.5 per cent, the central bank data showed.
Transaction volumes also weakened during the January-March period of 2026. Total transactions dropped by 7.4 per cent compared to the same period of 2025, with rural transactions declining by 8.5 per cent and urban transactions by 2.4 per cent.
Compared to the previous quarter of October-December 2025, overall transactions decreased by 3.5 per cent.
During January-March 2026, the total value of transactions through agent banking outlets stood at Tk 1.43 trillion, including Tk 1.18 trillion in rural areas and Tk 248.26 billion in urban areas.
Despite the decline in operational activities, customer engagement continued to expand. Total deposit accounts increased by 7.3 per cent year-on-year, while total outstanding loans rose by 13.7 per cent, reflecting growing financial inclusion and continued reliance on agent banking services nationwide.
Outstanding loans in the sector stood at Tk 119.06 billion in March 2026, including Tk 75.20 billion in rural areas and Tk 43.86 billion in urban areas.
The figure was Tk 104.67 billion in March 2025, according to the BB data.
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