To ensure the adoption of technology in the financial services sector and bring grassroots populations under the umbrella of financial inclusion, the ICT Division of Bangladesh, in collaboration with Bangladesh Bank, is implementing the “EkPay” platform. EkPay aims to create a reliable and inclusive payment ecosystem that will enable citizens to pay utility bills, education fees, and government service charges through their preferred payment channels.
On Thursday, a day-long workshop titled “Payment Ecosystem in Financial Services: Challenges and Way Forward” was organized by a2i at the ICT Division’s conference room, with participation from various service providers and EkPay stakeholders.
In his keynote speech, ICT Secretary Shish Haider Chowdhury, NDC, emphasized, “Integrating innovation and technology into the electronic payment system is essential to make Bangladesh’s payment ecosystem more citizen-friendly and inclusive. To achieve this, the ICT Division, in coordination with Bangladesh Bank, is leading the EkPay initiative as a National Payment Aggregator. Efforts are underway to promote EkPay effectively, and trust in the platform is steadily improving. EkPay will emerge as the country’s most trusted payment aggregator.”
Policy Advisor to the ICT Division, Faiz Ahmed Tayeb, as a special guest, remarked, “In the country’s mobile financial system, we observe a lack of interoperability even when two entities operate within the same system. We aim to build an ecosystem that ensures interoperability. For this, a reliable payment aggregator for government institutions is essential, and EkPay can play a pivotal role. It must be developed as a safe, citizen-friendly government initiative. Over the long term, the ICT Division envisions EkPay becoming a platform where all government agencies, utility service providers, educational institutions, banks, MFS, and fintech platforms are interconnected.”
Chairing the session, a2i Project Director (Additional Secretary) Md. Mamunur Rashid Bhuiyan highlighted, “EkPay, as an innovation by a2i, simplifies the payment process for various fees and bills. In a short period, the platform’s effectiveness has become visible. While we acknowledge concerns about trust in EkPay, we want to assure everyone that there is no reason for doubt. EkPay is being established as the National Payment Aggregator in coordination with Bangladesh Bank.”
The workshop also featured a panel discussion on “EkPay’s Role and Responsibilities in the Payment Ecosystem,” moderated by a2i’s National Consultant Md. Shahadat Hossain. Panelists included Joint Secretary of the Power Division Md. Zahidul Islam, Additional Director of the Payment Systems Department of Bangladesh Bank Md. Rashed, and Country Project Manager of UNCDF Sadat Mainuddin.
The event began with a welcome speech from Abdullah Al Fahim, Head of Program Management at a2i. Representatives from utility service providers like Rural Electrification Board, Titas Gas, Dhaka WASA, Rajshahi WASA, DESCO, BTCL, DPDC, and Jalalabad Gas, as well as senior officials from the ICT Division and a2i, were present at the workshop.
