Money transfers via mobile financial services have increased significantly as people are sending increased amount of money to their near and dear ones on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr, business insiders have said.
Among the mobile financial service providers, they said that transfers via bKash have almost doubled compared with normal days and transactions via other mobile financial service providers such as My Cash, M cash, Ok banking, U Cash and Sure Cash have also increased.
Talking with the FE, bKash spokesperson Zahedul Islam said that money transfers have increased ahead of Eid as people prefer to transmit by using this user-friendly platform. Another important reason behind such increase is that on the occasion of Ramadan and Eid-ul- Fitr, bKash has offered upto 20 per cent cash back to its customers at 16,000 shops ranging from reputed brand shops to corner shops, spread across urban and rural areas.
"It is usual that money transfer through mobile banking usually increases ahead of Eid. bKash has also seen a significant rise in mobile money transactions in June compared to May as a significant number of our customers are using their bKash accounts for fund transfer and making payment at shops ahead of Eid," Mr. Zahid added.
On a visit to some city markets, this correspondent found that customers rushed to the agents of the mobile financial services to send money to their relatives.
Mosiur Rahman, a private service holder taking the service of bKash, told the FE that normally he sends Tk 10,000 to 12,000 each month but on the occasion of Eid, he sent Tk 25,000 for his family members.
Sirajul Islam, owner of Sweety Telecom, and an agent of bKash, Dutch Bangla mobile bank and U cash in Mogbazar area, told the FE that transfers via all of the mobile financial services have more or less increased but transactions via bKash have almost doubled.
"In our shop, daily transaction via bKash was Tk one to two lakh but after the first week of Ramadan transactions significantly increased as now we transact three to four lakh daily. Transaction via Dutch Bangla mobile bank and U cash have also slightly increased but not so significant as bKash. We expect the transaction to rise after people get salary and Eid bonus," Sirajul added.
However, Mahirual Hasan, also an agent of bKash, Dutch Bangla mobile bank, U-Cash, My cash and Sure Cash, said exchange via bKash increased where Dutch Bangla mobile bank and U-cash also marked slight increased, but transfer through other operators was not significant.
"Our normal daily transfer via bKash is Tk two to three lakh, which started exceeding after the first week of Ramadan. Now as Eid nears, our daily transfer via bKash is around Tk four to six lakh. But such a trend is not noticeable to other services. Transfers via Dutch Bangla mobile bank also increased but transactions via other services remain stagnant," the trader added. Â
   wazeddu@yahoo.com
Mobile money transfer marks phenomenal rise before Eid
Mohammad Wazed Ali | Published: June 30, 2016 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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