Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H. Mansur has announced that the mobile banking service ‘Nagad’ will be handed over to an independent investor, saying that the postal service does not have the capacity to operate it.
He confirmed that a directive has come from the highest level, and a search for an investor is currently underway.
A notice will be issued within a week, and a new investor is expected to be selected within three to four months.
He made these remarks on Wednesday (August 27) while delivering the keynote speech at the ‘Cashless Bangladesh Summit 2025,’ organised by the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB) at Hotel Sonargaon.
At the event, ICMAB President Mahtab Uddin Ahmed said that Bangladesh is currently at a critical juncture of financial transformation.
He emphasised that the journey toward a cashless economy is no longer a future aspiration but a pressing reality of the present. He expressed hope that this summit, which brought together both policymakers and implementation partners on a single platform, would contribute to developing an effective framework.
Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager of Mastercard Bangladesh, said Mastercard was proud to jointly organise the Cashless Bangladesh Summit with ICMAB. He stated that a cashless society accelerates innovation, enhances efficiency, and ensures financial inclusion across all segments of society.
In the opening discussion, Dr M Masrur Reaz, Chairman and CEO of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, presented the keynote paper on the role of fintech in building a cashless economy.
The panel discussion featured Md. Sharafat Ullah Khan, Director of the Payment Systems Department of Bangladesh Bank; Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director and CEO of Mutual Trust Bank PLC; Ali Ahmed, Chief Commercial Officer of bKash Limited; Zakia Sultana, Director at Mastercard Bangladesh; and Adnan Imtiaz Halim, Founder of Sheba Platform.
Speakers discussed fintech’s role in fostering inclusive growth, enhancing cooperation, and developing a seamless cashless ecosystem.
In the final session of the summit, Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow at CPD, presented the keynote paper titled “Regulatory Reforms and Policy Roadmap for a Cashless Bangladesh.” The panel discussion included Dr Md. Khairuzzaman Mozumder, Secretary of the Finance Division, Ministry of Finance; Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, Secretary of the Internal Resources Division (IRD) and Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR); Dr Md. Habibur Rahman, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank; Masrur Arefin, Managing Director and CEO of The City Bank PLC; and Anita Ghazi Rahman, Founder and Managing Partner of The Legal Circle.
The speakers said that reforms, regulatory sandboxes, and a supportive tax structure are essential for balancing innovation with consumer protection. They noted that such initiatives would strengthen Bangladesh’s digital finance ecosystem and position the country as a regional leader in cashless innovation.
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