The next step of Digital Bangladesh is to build the country as a cashless country. Where people will go to the store and pay through mobile wallets.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Information and Communication Technology, was speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural function of Blaze, a remittance sending platform, on August 24.
He said
‘Cashless society is our future. This is the next dream of our digital Bangladesh. All transactions in Bangladesh will be cashless. Money will reach ordinary people; they will get money through mobile phones. When they spend the money, they will go to a store and pay for it from his mobile phone. They will no longer need to keep cash in their hands.
Speaking as the special guest on the occasion, State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak said,
Our aim was to do digital paperless office work as well as move towards a cashless society. But we have made an unimaginable progress in this case. 100 million people have been added to the mobile financial wallet during the Corona pandemic.
Mentioning that the ICT department has created an interoperable digital platform in association with Bangladesh Bank, Palak said that 15 banks and 1 MFS have been added to this platform. By the year 2021, in the Mujib year, we will be able to present an interactive digital platform to the people of the country, which will enable us to ensure financial transactions more quickly and transparently.
It was informed at the function that money could be withdrawn only when the banks were open. In this case 3 working days were required. Now one can withdraw money through Blaze at any time in 5 seconds through 35 banks.
Rubel Ahsan, co-founder and CEO of HomePay said Blaze launched the pilot program in June this year. During this time money was successfully transacted in 23 banks. In addition to the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia, these transactions have taken place in the countries of the European Union.
Five lakh taka can be sent per transaction using Blaze service. Two percent incentive will be added.
Ahmed Jamal, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank; Rubel Ahsan, Co-Founder and CEO of HomePay; Ziaul Siddiqui, Chairman of the Board of Sonali Bank and others were present on the occasion.
