Motijheel is going cashless
With the slogan 'Smart Bangladesh will be ensured with universal payment services', the paper moneyless campaign has started from Wednesday in Motijheel, the commercial center of the capital, known as Bankpara.
In this campaign, floating and very small traders of the area are being encouraged to buy and sell products using bank apps or mobile financial service apps. Various banks, MFS and card service providers in coordination with Bangladesh Bank are encouraging traders to use Bangla QR code based transactions. QR code facilities have been provided to floating vendors including tea shops, grocers, hotels, cobblers. Customers can pay the service bill through this
The banks involved in this initiative are Mutual Trust Bank, AB Bank, Eastern Bank, Islami Bank, United Commercial Bank, The City Bank, Bank Asia, Pubali Bank and One Bank. Apart from this, MFS companies bKash, MKash, Rocket and card service providers MasterCard, Visa and Amex have joined the service.
Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager of the campaign, Mastercard Bangladesh, under the 'Cashless Bangladesh' initiative, introduced the bill acceptance method of labor-dependent micro-scale floating entrepreneurs (tea sellers, jhalmuri sellers, vegetable sellers, fish sellers), service providers etc. are engaged in various marginal occupations (cobblers, barbers, hawkers). Opening individual retail accounts for digitization and institutionalization. The traders who complete their business transactions under this account are considered as micro-merchants.
The concerned officials of Bangladesh Bank said that such initiative has been taken as a pilot project to reduce the dependence on cash. This initiative will serve as a milestone in making of Cashless Bangladesh. Earlier, in a recent event, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Information and Communication Technology, said that Awami League is planning to build a cashless society as its next goal. He said that Bangladesh will build a cashless society within the next term if Awami League comes back to power by the people's vote.
Still five to six crore people of the country do not have bank accounts. In the future everyone will have a bank account and will do cashless banking.
