Written by The Banking Post
Agent banking is gaining increasing popularity in Bangladesh, offering customers the convenience of depositing or withdrawing money without having to travel to district or upazila towns. These banking agents and outlets also provide loan facilities and remittance services. However, in the April–June quarter of this year, while deposits saw a significant rise, the number of agents and outlets declined.
According to the latest Bangladesh Bank report, the number of agent banking accounts stood at 24,671,422 at the end of March 2025. By the end of June, the figure had dropped to 24,406,236 — a decline of 265,186 accounts in three months.
During the same period, deposits in agent banking rose by Tk 2,642.36 crore, from Tk 42,963.36 crore in March to Tk 45,605.72 crore in June.
Loan disbursement also increased. Outstanding loans stood at Tk 26,637 crore in March and rose by Tk 2,371.31 crore to Tk 29,008.31 crore in June.
Remittance inflow through agent banking channels grew by Tk 2,684 crore, from Tk 1,81,204 crore in March to Tk 1,83,888 crore in June.
The report notes that most agent banking customers are based in rural areas, with the number of rural customers currently standing at 27,604,311, including 12,078,966 women.
However, the number of agents and outlets fell during the quarter. The number of agents dropped by 465, from 15,838 in March to 15,373 in June, while outlets declined by 466, from 21,023 to 20,557 over the same period.
