After the digital market, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) is going to introduce digital payment facility in the physical markets as well. Digital payment booths are being set up at Korbani (sacrificial) Cattle Markets ( in Sector 16 of Uttara, Bhatara, Gabtali, Basila, Aftabnagar and Kawla under the management of Bangladesh Bank. Apart from banks, transactions in these haats will be possible in the mobile financial system without any charge. This will reduce the complexity of the money earned as well as protect the customers from mischief like snatching or transacting counterfeit money. The concerned people think that it will be possible to collect revenue with transparency. If this pilot project is successful this Eid, it will be possible to build a smart Bangladesh by bringing the village haats under the digital payment system.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Tajul Islam inaugurated the program at the Sheraton Hotel in Banani on Wednesday (June 29th) as part of Bangladesh Bank’s pilot project ‘Smart Bangladesh, Smart Haat‘.
The event, hosted by MasterCard Country Manager Syed Mohammad Kamal, said six commercial banks has been working simultaneously in the haats to set up and operate digital payment booths. The banks are Bank Asia Limited, BRAC Bank Limited, Mutual Trust Bank Limited, Eastern Bank Limited, Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited and The City Bank Limited. Besides, bKash Limited and Islami Bank M-Cash are also providing mobile financial services. However, like the last two years, this time the digital haat will be run under the management of e-CAB as usual.
Dhaka North City Mayor Atiqul Islam presided over the inaugural ceremony. Fisheries and Livestock Secretary Dr. Mohammad Yamin Chowdhury, Director General of the Department of Livestock Dr. Manzoor Mohammad Shahzada, Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank Md. Khorshed Alam, President of Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association Md. Imran Hossain spoke among others.
The speakers opined that under this pilot project of launching digital payment system in Korbani (sacrificial) cattle market, one digital payment booth will be set up in each market. There, buyers can pay the animal price to the seller through debit / credit card, mobile financial services at POS, through QR code or by withdrawing cash from the ATM machine at the booth. In addition, buyers will be able to pay the lease in cash. No transaction (charge) will be levied on digital transactions made under the pilot project (July 1 to July 12) in the interest of marginal farms and lessors.
Dhaka North City CEO Md. Selim Reza, Additional Director of Bangladesh Bank Shah Zia-ul Haq, Mohammad Badiuzzaman Didar and President of Association of Bankers Bangladesh (ABB) Selim Hossain were also present on the occasion.
Bangladesh Bank and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) are jointly conducting the ‘Smart Bangladesh, Smart Haat’ pilot project. The Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association are providing overall support to the two organizations.
