Agent banking deposits saw a significant increase of 19.76 per cent, reaching Tk 40,073 crore by the end of June of this year, up from Tk 33,462 crore recorded in the same period of the previous year, according to the latest "Quarterly Report on Agent Banking" released by the Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Monday.
The central bank's data also revealed that the overall deposits in the banking sector rose by 9.25 per cent year-on-year, amounting to Tk 17.42 lakh crore.
Agent banking services, as of June 30, is being offered by 31 banks through 21,473 outlets operated by 15,991 agents, have continued to expand across the country during the April-June’24 quarter, according to the BB report.
The number of accounts opened through agent banking services has reached 2.3 lakh. Of which, 1.15 lakh (49.98 per cent) accounts belong to female customers and 1.98 lakh accounts (86.07 per cent) belong to the customers in the rural areas of the country.
Meanwhile, loan disbursements through agent banking accounts of 23 banks surged by 43.70 per cent year-on-year, reaching Tk 18,741.8 crore in June 2024.
Additionally, the cumulative amount of inward remittances channelled through agents banking services saw significant growth, totalling Tk 1,58,312.94 crore—a 21.97 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Agent banking, introduced by the central bank in 2013, was designed to provide a secure alternative for delivering banking services to underserved populations in remote areas with limited access to formal banking networks, the report highlighted.
