'Agent banking growing fast in Bangladesh'

Account-holders' deposits stands at over Tk 52 billion, according to a BB data

FE REPORT | Published: January 18, 2020 21:48:02 | Updated: January 18, 2020 21:51:36

Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Channel Banking Division of Bank Asia Limited Akhter Hamed (5th from L, sitting) posing for photo along with others at Bank Asia's 'Agent Banking Day' celebration programme at Sirajdikhan in Munshiganj recently

Agent banking is expanding rapidly across the country with the amount of deposits by the accountholders exceeded Tk 52 billion in the last financial year, according to a Bangladesh Bank (BB) data.
Speakers at a programme at Sirajdikhan upazila in Munshiganj district have said Bank Asia Limited first introduced agent banking in the country.
The agent banking is working to serve the unbanked and under-banked population throughout the country, said Sarder Akhter Hamed, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Channel Banking of Bank Asia Limited, while addressing the 'Agent Banking Day' celebration of Bank Asia 'marking the 6th anniversary of introducing its agent banking channel.
Mentioning that Bank Asia introduced the agent banking in Bangladesh on January 17 in 2014, its officials said Bank Asia was the first to introduce agent banking in the country and the bank celebrates the date as 'Agent Banking Day'.
Hossain Ahmed, Executive Vice President and CIO, ICT Division, Ahsan Ul Alam, Senior Vice President and Zakir Hossain Bhuiyain, First Vice President (FVP), were also present at the programme with Sirajdikhan upazila Chairman Mohiuddin Ahmed attending as the chief guest.
The officials said Bank Asia has already established its agent banking network in 64 districts and the bank is able to bring more than 1.9 million (19 lakh) customers in its channel with an objective to reach banking services to unreached people and ensure banking as right of the country's people.
About 82 per cent of total customers in agent banking service are rural people and among them, 60 per cent are female, they added.
According to a Bangladesh Bank data, total deposits by agent banking accountholders stood at Tk 5,284.46 crore at the end of June of fiscal year 2018-2019 (FY '19) from Tk 2,012.77 crore in the previous fiscal year.
Loan beneficiaries of the agent banking platform displayed their products at the venue during the event, organised at Bhabanipur High School ground in the upazila.
School students, children and women were also among those participating in the celebration programme as agent banking beneficiaries of the area.
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