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Bangladesh’s Real-Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) system crossed a major milestone in 2025, processing more than one million transactions per month on average for the first time since its launch a decade ago.

Data from Bangladesh Bank show the country’s largest platform for high-value and time-sensitive payments handled 12.38 million transactions worth Tk 64.98 trillion during the year. On average, the system processed 1.03 million transactions and settled Tk 5.42 trillion every month.

The strong performance reflects rising economic activity and the growing adoption of digital payment channels across the financial sector.

Transaction volume increased by 16 per cent from 10.67 million in 2024, while the total value of transactions rose 14.4 per cent year-on-year.

Introduced to facilitate instant settlement of large-value payments, RTGS is widely viewed as a key indicator of economic activity, as it handles transactions among banks, businesses, financial institutions and government agencies.

The platform settles local-currency transactions of Tk 100,000 and above, alongside domestic foreign-currency transactions. Government payments and domestic foreign-currency transactions are exempt from any minimum threshold.

December recorded the highest transaction volume, with 1.12 million transactions, followed by September with 1.09 million and November with 1.08 million. June saw the lowest volume at 920,000 transactions.

In value terms, September was the busiest month, with settlements reaching Tk 6.31 trillion. October followed with Tk 5.86 trillion, while February recorded the lowest value at Tk 4.64 trillion.

Bankers and payment experts said the growth highlights the rapid digitalisation of financial services and a growing preference for secure, real-time settlement systems.

Syed Mahbubur Rahman said Bangladesh’s payment ecosystem has transformed significantly in recent years, making transactions faster and more efficient.

“Payments originating from even remote areas can now be settled within a day, whereas similar transactions often took two to three days in the past,” he said.

He added that traditional payment instruments such as pay orders and demand drafts are gradually losing relevance as digital payment platforms gain wider acceptance.

The average size of RTGS transactions remains significantly higher than other digital payment channels, underlining its importance in liquidity management, interbank settlements, government payments, capital market transactions and large corporate transfers.

Industry stakeholders believe the platform’s role will continue to expand as businesses increasingly move away from paper-based instruments and manual settlement processes.

Economist M. Masrur Reaz said RTGS data offer valuable insight into the overall economy because the platform captures some of the country’s largest and most time-sensitive financial transactions.

“Sustained growth in RTGS activity is generally viewed as a positive indicator of expanding commercial activity and improving financial intermediation,” he said.

With transaction volumes and values continuing to grow at double-digit rates, RTGS is increasingly serving as both the backbone of Bangladesh’s digital payment infrastructure and a reliable gauge of economic activity.