NN Online:
Inward remittances distributed via agent banking surged by 20.87 percent year-on-year, reaching Tk 1,81,204.73 crore at the end of March 2025, according to the latest quarterly report from Bangladesh Bank (BB).
The figure stood at Tk 1,49,916.40 crore in March 2024, increasing to Tk 1,73,390.72 crore by December 2024. Compared to the previous quarter, remittances through agent banking rose by 4.51 percent in the January-March 2025 period.
A senior BB official told BSS that the notable increase is largely attributed to the efficient doorstep delivery of remittances via agent banking outlets. He also credited the government’s 2.5 percent cash incentive on inward remittances and ongoing financial literacy campaigns led by BB under the theme ‘Enhance Social Awareness to Send Remittance through Legal Channel’.
“Agent banking is proving to be a highly effective channel for reaching rural populations swiftly,” the official noted.
Rural areas continued to receive the lion’s share of the remittance disbursed—90.17 percent in March 2025—while urban accounts received only 9.83 percent or Tk 17,803 crore.
The report also highlighted that five banks collectively handled 95.46 percent of the total remittances distributed through agent banking. Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC topped the list, distributing Tk 96,427.29 crore, which accounted for 53.21 percent of the total. Dutch-Bangla Bank PLC followed with 26.98 percent, Bank Asia PLC with 7.76 percent, Al-Arafah Islami Bank PLC with 4.34 percent, and Agrani Bank PLC with 3.17 percent.
Abdul Quaium Chowdhury, Deputy Managing Director of Premier Bank PLC, remarked that the growing adoption of agent banking—especially in rural regions—underscores its potential to integrate the unbanked population into the formal financial system.
“The upward trend in remittance inflow is a direct result of the government’s initiative to encourage the use of legal channels by non-resident Bangladeshis,” he said.
Agent banking was introduced in Bangladesh in 2013 to provide safe and convenient banking services to underserved populations in remote areas. Services include deposits, loans, local and international remittances, bill payments, and social safety net disbursements.
The model has since gained traction as a cost-effective alternative to conventional banking, guided by the Prudential Guidelines for Agent Banking Operation issued by BB in September 2017. These guidelines cover agent approval, service scope, AML/CFT compliance, and customer protection to ensure the secure expansion of agent banking across the country.
