BB Directs Banks to Ensure Adequate Cash at ATMs During Election Holiday
Bangladesh Bank has instructed all banks to ensure adequate cash supply at their ATM booths during the government-declared holiday for the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The central bank has also directed banks to immediately inform the nearest police station if any suspicious financial transaction is detected during the holiday period.
The information was confirmed by relevant sources at Bangladesh Bank on Tuesday, February 10.
According to the central bank, utility bill payment services—including electricity, gas, water and telephone bills—will remain operational throughout the election holiday. However, interbank instant fund transfer (IBFT) services, which allow real-time transfers from one bank account to another, will remain temporarily suspended during this period.
The directive was issued by Bangladesh Bank’s Payment Systems Department-1 through a circular on Sunday, February 8. The circular stated that transaction limits have been imposed for a specific period on person-to-person (P2P) transfers conducted through mobile financial services (MFS) and IBFT under the National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB), aiming to prevent misuse of these services during the election.
As per the directive, transactions from personal mobile banking accounts will remain restricted for 96 hours—from 12:00am on Monday, February 9, to 11:59pm on Thursday, February 12.
Bangladesh Bank believes that these measures will help maintain financial discipline and curb illegal transactions during the election period.
DBTech/BTN/SI
