Written by The Banking Post
NRB Bank PLC has spearheaded a two-day awareness campaign in Cumilla to promote the Cashless Bangladesh initiative and encourage payments through Bangla QR.
Held at Cumilla University, Victoria College, and other venues, the programme included seminars, roadshows, and public campaigns with officials from 45 banks in the region, according to a press release.
The event was presided over by Rafeza Akhter Kanta, Director of Bangladesh Bank’s Payment Systems Department, and inaugurated by its Executive Director Arief Hossain Khan. NRB Bank’s Managing Director (current charge) Anwar Uddin attended as special guest.
Speakers noted that the cost of handling cash in Bangladesh exceeds Tk 20,000 crore annually, which can be sharply reduced through cashless transactions. The central bank aims to minimise cash use and transition to a near zero-cash economy within ten years.
A cashless system, they said, would improve financial discipline, curb counterfeit currency, and enhance efficiency. Several countries have already embraced fully cashless systems, and Bangladesh is moving in the same direction.
Other attendees included Md Shaheen Howlader, Deputy Managing Director of NRB Bank; Tanzina Jahan, Assistant Commissioner (Land), Adarsha Sadar, Cumilla; and Parvez Anjum Monir, Additional Director, Payment Systems Department of Bangladesh Bank.
