Written by The Banking Post
Bangladesh’s push for financial inclusion gathered pace in the December 2025 quarter, with no-frill accounts (NFAs) crossing 34 million and deposits rising above Tk 72.60 billion, according to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank.
The number of NFAs — low-cost accounts opened with Tk 10, Tk 50 or Tk 100 — stood at 34.20 million at the end of December. Deposits in these accounts climbed to Tk 72.60 billion, signalling steady savings growth among low-income and previously unbanked groups.
Excluding student and working-children accounts, the core NFA segment grew 3.94 per cent year-on-year to 29.23 million.
Bankers and analysts attributed the expansion to wider refinancing schemes and rural credit programmes targeting small farmers and marginal entrepreneurs.
Social safety net beneficiaries made up the largest share of account holders, accounting for 37.11 per cent of the total. Farmers followed closely at 36.37 per cent. The data underscore the continued importance of government-to-person transfers and agricultural financing in advancing financial inclusion.
NFAs are also becoming a channel for inward remittances. By the end of the December quarter, cumulative remittance inflows through these accounts exceeded Tk 8.27 billion.
Banking sector officials said enabling low-income families to receive remittances directly into Tk 10/50/100 accounts is helping shift transactions away from informal hundi networks to the formal banking system, supporting stronger foreign exchange inflows.
School banking also regained momentum during the quarter. Banks opened 126,027 new school banking accounts, up 2.62 per cent from the previous quarter. The increase follows a directive requiring each bank branch to partner with at least one educational institution, along with the resumption of nationwide school banking conferences.
However, progress among the most vulnerable urban children remained limited. Accounts for street and working children declined 0.45 per cent during the quarter. At present, 18 banks manage 40,670 such accounts.
