The government has made A-Challan mandatory for depositing all public revenues and other government receipts from July 1, 2026, i.e. the start of the new fiscal, aiming to bring every government receipt into the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in real time, eliminate manual challans and strengthen public cash management.

According to an official announcement issued on Tuesday, from the beginning of FY2026-27, no ministry, division, department or subordinate office will be allowed to collect or deposit government revenue through any system other than A-Challan.

Any separate arrangement currently being used for collecting public receipts must be discontinued, while funds lying in commercial bank accounts must be transferred to the government's Treasury Single Account through A-Challan by June 30.

The move comes as the digital payment platform has recorded significant growth in both collections and transaction volumes, emerging as one of the government's key digital public financial management tools.

According to the fiscal year-wise A-Challan report, the system collected Tk 4,07,225.94 crore in FY2025-26, compared with Tk 2,65,708 crore in FY2024-25, marking an increase of nearly 50 percent in a single fiscal year.

The number of challans processed also rose sharply. A-Challan handled 6.75 crore challans in FY2025-26, up 71.7 percent from 3.93 crore in the previous fiscal year.

Since its launch in FY2019-20 with only 17 challans, the platform has expanded rapidly, processing more than 19.03 crore challans and mobilising over Tk 10.63 lakh crore in government receipts over the past seven fiscal years.

The latest performance reflects a significant expansion in the use of digital payment channels across government revenue collection and service payments.

Online challans increased by 92 percent to 5.36 crore during FY2025-26, while online collections rose 54.5 percent to Tk 11,298.12 crore. Over-the-counter (OTC) collections also increased, reaching Tk 3,86,397.55 crore during the fiscal year.

Officials said full implementation of A-Challan will enable the government to monitor its actual cash position more accurately, reduce idle public funds held in scattered commercial bank accounts and improve overall treasury cash management.

Under the previous manual system, citizens were often required to deposit challans at designated branches of selected banks, mainly Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank, resulting in additional travel, long waiting times and higher costs.

Manual challans also delayed the transfer of funds to the government treasury, created opportunities for fake challans and complicated the reconciliation of daily and monthly revenue figures between banks and government offices.

To address these challenges, A-Challan was introduced as a web-based platform that allows government revenues and service fees to be deposited through all branches of Bangladesh Bank and commercial banks, as well as through internet banking, mobile financial services including bKash, Nagad, Rocket, Upay and Tap, and debit or credit cards.

For citizens, the system removes the need to visit specific bank branches to deposit government fees. Payments can now be made through nearby bank branches or digital channels, with challan receipts generated instantly and available for use on the same day.

For the government, funds deposited through A-Challan are transferred immediately to the Treasury Single Account maintained with Bangladesh Bank, enabling real-time monitoring of receipts, improving transparency and reducing dependence on unnecessary borrowing.

The system also supports automatic reconciliation. After a challan is deposited, payment information is automatically matched among Bangladesh Bank, the relevant accounting office and the concerned government institution. Credit scrolls sent by Bangladesh Bank are automatically uploaded to the Integrated Budget and Accounting System (iBAS++), allowing accounts to be updated without the delays and errors associated with manual reconciliation.

Officials said the A-Challan dashboard provides ministries, departments and accounting offices with real-time information on receipts, transaction status and deposit trends. It enables users to monitor the amount collected, the relevant economic code, payment channel and public service, while also helping identify delays, unusual transaction patterns and mismatches quickly.

Another key feature is the challan verification system, which allows instant verification of payment authenticity, reducing the risk of fake challans and revenue leakage.

The Finance Division introduced the automated A-Challan system in FY2019-20 as part of broader public financial management reforms aimed at ensuring real-time deposit of public money, preventing fake challans, strengthening revenue discipline and providing the government with a clearer picture of its daily cash balance.

With all government receipts set to flow through a single digital platform from July 1, A-Challan is expected to become a central instrument for faster revenue mobilisation, stronger treasury control and improved public service delivery, officials said.