ATM Anarchy Amidst Eid: Cash-Strapped Customers Suffer Nationwide

During the ten-day government holiday for Eid-ul-Adha, all banks across Bangladesh remain closed. However, from the very first day of the break, customers relying on ATMs for cash transactions have faced significant hardship. As the days progress, the situation is only worsening, with many ATMs either completely out of cash or holding very limited funds. Withdrawals exceeding BDT 10,000 often require multiple attempts or visiting several booths. Screens frequently display the message “Out of Service,” and some ATMs bear notices citing technical issues or a complete depletion of cash.

Although internet banking and mobile financial services (MFS) remain operational as alternative modes of transaction, users are forced to bear higher transaction fees during the holidays. Smartphone-based offers fail to offset this financial burden.

Reports confirm that this crisis is not limited to Dhaka alone, but has spread nationwide. In rural areas, the shortage of ATMs is even more pronounced. ATMs operated by third-party vendors are reportedly under less stringent supervision. Since Thursday, numerous ATMs across the country, including in the capital, have either remained closed or become nonfunctional due to a lack of cash.

Field visits to areas like Mirpur, Adabor, Moghbazar, Dhanmondi, and Uttara reveal widespread disruption. Many booths are entirely out of cash, while others are closed due to technical malfunctions. Even operational booths are limiting the amount that can be withdrawn.

Harunur Rashid, a resident of Madhubagh in Dhaka, shared his frustration: “I tried withdrawing money from several booths of a private bank at least four times since Sunday afternoon. Each time I failed. In the end, I had to return empty-handed.”

At a private bank booth in Mirpur 10, a sign on the door read, “No cash available. Sorry!” At a Southeast Bank booth, customers from other banks were unable to withdraw using their cards. In booths where cash was available, the withdrawal limit was restricted to only BDT 5,000. A similar scenario played out at a Dutch-Bangla Bank booth near the entrance of Bashundhara Residential Area. A customer attempting to withdraw BDT 20,000 had to spend 40 minutes making multiple withdrawals from different booths, each time reducing the withdrawal amount.

On-the-spot observation showed that even functioning ATMs often restricted transactions using cards from other banks. In booths where interbank withdrawals were allowed, transaction limits were enforced, causing further inconvenience for customers during the extended holiday period.

The issue extends beyond urban centres. Reports from districts such as Noakhali, Jhenaidah, Rangpur, Kurigram, Cumilla, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Barisal indicate that many customers returned empty-handed from ATMs. Some booths are restocked in the mornings, but cash runs out by afternoon or evening. In Chuadanga’s Alamdanga upazila, the only ATM has remained closed for two consecutive days due to a cash shortage. Local residents are now dependent on mobile financial services like bKash or Nagad, but many complain about high service charges.

In addition to private banks, software-related issues have disrupted the operations of two ATMs belonging to Sonali Bank (PLC) in Kurigram district. One is located in front of its branch office and the other near the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Both booths are often either closed or display network error notices—a situation that has remained unresolved even during the Eid holidays.

Officials from several banks acknowledged that a single ATM can store a maximum of BDT 8 million. Due to heightened demand during Eid, this amount is quickly depleted. While cash can be replenished from nearby branches, doing so at remote booths becomes problematic. These remote booths are usually managed by third-party vendors, who often fail to refill the machines on time during holidays.

According to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank, there are currently 12,946 ATMs and 7,012 Cash Recycling Machines (CRM) in operation across the country. Without regular and sufficient cash refills during Eid or other festive periods, customer suffering becomes inevitable.