Partnership aims to simplify digital payments for students

Mobile financial services provider upay and education technology platform English Carnival Bangladesh have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand digital payment adoption across English Carnival’s student network. The partnership will focus on student registration payments, cashback and promotional benefits, and the digital disbursement of commissions and incentives to campus ambassadors.

The MoU was signed at upay’s head office in Dhaka on Monday, October 26, 2026. A subsidiary of United Commercial Bank PLC (UCB), upay is one of Bangladesh’s mobile financial services providers. English Carnival Bangladesh is an EdTech platform focused on English proficiency test preparation and skills development.

Digital payments for registrations and incentives

Under the agreement, the two organisations plan to integrate upay’s payment gateway into English Carnival’s student registration process. They will also work on cashback offers and promotional benefits for students, alongside the disbursement of commissions and incentives to English Carnival’s campus ambassadors through upay.

The partnership also covers joint branding, with upay designated as the “Payment Partner” and English Carnival as the “Education Partner”. Planned collaborative activities include university events, quizzes and competitions connecting English-language proficiency, career readiness and financial literacy.

A network spanning 64 districts

According to English Carnival, the platform currently serves more than 15,000 registered students and works with over 3,500 campus ambassadors across all 64 districts. It also has partnerships with more than 500 colleges and universities.

By combining this network with upay’s digital payment capabilities, the organisations expect to make student transactions more convenient and efficient. The announcement did not specify a detailed rollout timeline or when all planned features would become available.

English Carnival Bangladesh was represented by Md Humayun Kabir, Director of Business Operations, and Shibly Qureshi, Manager of Human Resources and Administration.

Representing upay were Sajjad Alam, Head of Corporate Business; Mohammad Mamun Reza Khan, Head of Product; Quazi Shakil Mahmud, Head of Marketing; Jahir Uddin Mahmud, Deputy General Manager of Strategy; Md Murad Hasan, General Manager of Corporate Sales; and Nahnuz Afran Karim, Key Account Manager of Corporate Sales.

Both organisations described the partnership as part of their shared effort to accelerate digital transformation in Bangladesh’s education ecosystem. The initiative is intended to connect educational services with digital financial tools and make related transactions easier for students.

//DBTech/KHIB/SME/MIST//