We are committed to providing smart services for financial sector: Dr. Joshoda
Reza Mahmud :
Dr. Joshoda Jibon Debnath is a creative entrepreneur of the country who first initiated manufacturing automated teller machine (ATM) in Bangladesh with his company Techno Media Ltd.
He is the Managing Director of the company and also the member of Board of Directors of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI). He is also the Director of Bengal Commerce Bank Ltd.
In an interview with The New Nation on Friday, Dr. Joshoda Jibon Debnath talked about his initiatives of digital financing system with ATM cards. He said that his company has set target to help making the country’s financial system smarter.
Dr. Joshoda Debnath said that it’s the first time in the country that two types of machines will be manufactured in his factories. One of those is ATM machine and another is Cash Recycler Machine (CRM).
The initiatives of such higher techology based production unit have been started with the hand of Dr. Joshoda Jibon Debnath in the country.
The government has allotted one acre of land to Dr. Joshoda Jibon Debnath’s compamy in Bangabandhu Hi-tech City in Kaliakoir of Gazipur.
While asking about different festival based economy in Bangladesh, Dr. Joshoda said, ATM cards contribute widely in festivals like Eid and pujas.
“Eid is the biggest festival of the Muslims. You see that the festival makers use the ATM cards easily in everywhere even in night or banks holidays,” Joshoda said.
He said ATM cards have made the festivals more factitive as it breaks all the barriers of carrying cash along the people.
More than one crore of Taka have been transferring through ATMs during the Eid festival in Bangladesh, he added.
The prominent entrepreneur said the Eid festivals made country’s economy speedier.
The Durga puja and such others religious festivals also contributed to the economy of the country.
The ATM system created easy way of transferring money during such occasions.
Replying to a query, Joshoda Jibon Debnath said they have formed a company with 2.5 million USD. Later the amount of investment would be increased by phases. He said that this initiative of their company will save two hundred crores taka of the government as this amounts of money would be spent to import the demand of 10,000 more units of ATM machines from abroad.
It also created opportunities of employment of numbers of people, he added.
Replying to another question, Dr. Joshoda Debnath said alternative banking systems through ATM booths have contributed enough in the country’s businesses sector especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It has not been needed to create gathering to transect money through ATM systems in ATM booths. People can keep social distance easily in ATM booths during money transactions. So that this alternative banking channel saved huge numbers of bank clients from the pandemic,” he said.
The digital entrepreneur said that their companies have supplied 3,300 imported ATM machines to the Islamic banks as per their demands.
He said that there are 13,039 ATM booths and CRAM booths are in the banks of the country.
The CRM booths help to count and depositing 10 to 1000 taka notes to bank officials and its clients.
He said while the general banking serves its clients to 9 am to 4 pm, then the ATM channels have to serve the people 24 hours.
In this view, Bangladesh Bank has decided to reach the ATM banking systems to all the people including the village level.
Under this decision, the work of establishing ATM booths is under way in upazila and union offices in every district.
Meanwhile, the CRM system is being popular to the clients as most of them want to reduce risks of carrying cash to the banks for depositing.
They can deposit the money through the CRM machines in the concern banks booths in any time.
Dr. Joshoda Debnath asked the government to arrange trainings for the village people who used to deposit and collect money frequently through banking channel so that they can able to use both the ATM and CRM machines to reduce pressures in ordinary banking systems.
“Such initiatives would help the government to achieve the target of sustainable development goal (SDG) by 2030 and its plan to attain economic development by 2041,” Dr. Joshoda said.
