Payments/BD
Bangladesh
ISO BD · 3 schemes
Summary
- Bangla QR is the national interoperable QR standard
- Full interoperability launched November 1, 2025
- TakaPay national card scheme launched June 2024
- NPSB provides interbank switch since 2012
- Instant QR transfers from December 15, 2025
Banking landscape
Central Bank
- Name: Bangladesh Bank (BB)
- Website: https://www.bb.org.bd/
- Role: Monetary policy, payment systems oversight
Major Banks (2024)
| Rank | Bank Name | Type | Digital Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonali Bank | State | Sonali Digital |
| 2 | Islami Bank | Private | iBanking |
| 3 | BRAC Bank | Private | Astha App |
| 4 | Dutch-Bangla Bank | Private | Rocket |
| 5 | Standard Chartered | Foreign | SC Mobile |
Market Structure
- State banks: Sonali, Janata, Agrani, Rupali
- Private leaders: Islami, BRAC, Dutch-Bangla
- MFS providers: bKash, Nagad, Rocket
- LankaClear: NPSB operator
Mobile Financial Services (MFS)
- bKash: Largest MFS (BRAC Bank)
- Nagad: Postal MFS
- Rocket: Dutch-Bangla Bank
Payment infrastructure
National Payment Systems
| System | Operator | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPSB | Bangladesh Bank | Interbank switch | Active |
| Bangla QR | Bangladesh Bank | Unified QR | Active |
| TakaPay | Bangladesh Bank | National card | Active |
| RTGS | Bangladesh Bank | Large value | Active |
NPSB Features (Since 2012)
- Interbank transfers
- ATM withdrawals (cross-bank)
- POS payments
- QR code payments
- Instant fund transfers
Cash Dominance
- 71.7% cash-based transactions (Dec 2024)
- BDT 20,000 crore annual cash management cost
- Digital transformation ongoing
QR code standards
Bangla QR
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Operator | Bangladesh Bank |
| Type | Unified interoperable QR |
| Standard | National |
| Instant Transfer | December 15, 2025 |
Bangla QR Features
- Single QR for all providers
- Bank and MFS interoperability
- Merchant payments
- Standardized format
Full Interoperability (November 1, 2025)
- Banks, MFS, PSPs connected
- Seamless fund movement
- Universal merchant acceptance
- 60% lower onboarding costs
Instant QR Payments (December 15, 2025)
- Immediate merchant credit
- Replaces one-day delay
- Under BDT 10 lakh: instant
- Above BDT 10 lakh: regular processing
TakaPay National Card (June 2024)
- Chip-based cards
- ATM withdrawals
- POS and QR payments
- Fund transfers
- Routed via NPSB
Mobile payment apps
| App | Provider | Bangla QR | Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| bKash | BRAC Bank | Yes | 65M+ |
| Nagad | Postal | Yes | 50M+ |
| Rocket | Dutch-Bangla | Yes | 20M+ |
| Bank Apps | Various | Yes | Growing |
bKash
- Largest MFS in Bangladesh
- Bangla QR integrated
- P2P and merchant payments
- Bill payments
Nagad
- Government-backed (postal)
- Rapid growth
- QR payments
- Agent network
Schemes
| Scheme | Type | Symbology | Adoption | Technical standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangla QR | Unified QR | BB | Universal | bangla-qr |
| TakaPay | Card scheme | Chip | 9 banks (launch) | takapay |
| NPSB | Interbank | Switch | All banks | — |
Sources
- Bangladesh Bank - Payment Systems
- TBS - Bangla QR SC Launch
- TBS - Instant QR Dec 15
- TBS - Fintech Reforms
- The Paypers - Bangla QR Launch
- Daily Star - Digital Payment Revolution
- BrainStation 23 - Bangla QR
- Standard Bank - NPSB
- TBS - Mobile Interoperability
- Payments CMI - Bangladesh P2P
Full country report
Schemes
Standards
Primary · 2
Mentioned · 1