Widespread concern and dissatisfaction have spread among common people regarding banks following a proposal that could require customers to pay additional fees to withdraw their own money from bank counters.
The Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB), an organization of bank executives, has proposed that if a customer withdraws cash from a bank counter more than three times a month, an additional fee ranging from Tk 100 to Tk 300 could be charged for each subsequent transaction.
The association has also recommended introducing new fees for 14 other types of banking services and increasing several existing charges. These recommendations include a Tk 500 fee to reactivate long-dormant bank accounts and a multi-fold increase in loan processing fees.
Banks have justified the move by citing rising operational costs and noting that such fees are standard practice internationally. They also argued that the initiative aims to encourage customers to minimize counter-based transactions and utilize ATMs, mobile banking, and internet banking instead.
However, analysts and customers argue that the reality is not that simple. Amid high inflation affecting essential goods, medical care, education, and transportation, an additional fee on cash withdrawals would disproportionately burden the middle class, low-income individuals, retirees, and small businesses. Many elderly individuals and pensioners are not accustomed to digital banking and remain heavily dependent on bank counters.
Furthermore, critics highlighted significant shortcomings in the alternative digital infrastructure, noting that:
Sufficient ATM booths are still not available across all regions of the country.
Customers frequently face harassment due to booths running out of cash or experiencing technical glitches.
Mobile and internet banking services are not yet equally accessible to everyone, particularly in rural areas and small towns where many lack smartphones or comfort with digital services.
Customers have questioned why banks are raising charges without addressing persistent issues like long queues, server complications, and delayed services. They warned that continuous hikes in fees could damage public trust in the formal banking system, prompting some to keep cash at home instead, which is not positive for the formal financial sector.
Amid these growing anxieties, the central bank has taken a cautious stance, clarifying that it will not easily approve any decision that imposes an unreasonable financial burden on customers.
Bangladesh Bank Spokesperson Arif Hossain Khan said, "Imposing extra fees could create a reluctance among the general public towards banking services.”
Therefore, the interests of the customers will be given the highest priority before any decision is made, he said.
He added that the central bank has advised banks to focus on increasing their revenues through loan disbursement, investments, and regular banking operations rather than solely relying on service fees.
The ABB proposal currently remains a mere recommendation and cannot be implemented without formal approval from Bangladesh Bank.
However, the intense public reaction underscores that citizens, squeezed by a rising cost of living, are deeply uncomfortable with the prospect of new banking charges.