bKash customers have already opened over 3.2 million DPS with IDLC Finance, Mutual Trust Bank, Dhaka Bank, City Bank, and BRAC Bank through bKash app from the comfort of their homes. This trailblazing achievement has been made possible in a span of just three years through the user-friendly bKash app, eliminating the need for paperwork and bank accounts. The overwhelming response from customers is a testament to bKash’s innovative technology and the trust in its partner banks. A remarkable 96% of the customers, whose DPSs have matured, have expressed the desire to continue their savings journey through the bKash app. By promoting savings habits, collaboration of banks and bKash is not only empowering individuals to secure their financial well-being but also contributing to the overall economic growth of the nation. The country’s largest MFS provider bKash has introduced monthly DPS of IDLC Finance in its platform in 2021. Following the success of that product, four other commercial banks gradually onboarded in bKash’s platform. Later, weekly DPS service of two banks and a financial institution was added to the bKash app in early 2024. Apart from regular DPS, the customers interested in savings as per the Islami Shariah can avail Islamic DPS of City Bank and Dhaka Bank. bKash has organised a view exchange programme today (Tuesday) with the stakeholders at a convention centre in the city to celebrate the success and discuss the way forward of digital savings by leveraging the collaboration between MFS and banking sector. The invited guests at the programme discussed how to make financial inclusion sustainable through collaboration and utilising each other’s expertise to cater the financial services at everyone’s doorstep. Md. Zakir Hossain Chowdhury, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank addressed the event as the chief guest. A view-exchange session was participated by M Jamal Uddin, CEO & Managing Director of IDLC Finance, Syed Mahbubur Rahman, Managing Director & CEO of Mutual Trust Bank, Sheikh Mohammad Maroof, Managing Director & CEO of Dhaka Bank, Mashrur Arefin, Managing Director & CEO of City Bank, and Selim R.F. Hussain, Managing Director & CEO of BRAC Bank. Meanwhile, Ahsan Zaman Chowdhury, Managing Director & CEO, Trust Bank and Kamal Quadir, founder and CEO of bKash, also spoke at the event. Read: bKash payment now available at Balaka Executive Lounge of Shahjalal Airport In chief guest’s speech, Bangladesh Bank Deputy Governor Md. Zakir Hossain Chowdhury said, “Currently, upon maturity, DPS money is deposited into the customers’ bKash accounts without any hassle. On behalf of Bangladesh Bank and the people, I applaud bKash for this success. I also thank the renowned banks of the country who have joined with bKash’s initiative. The Payment Services Department (PSD) of the central bank is continuously working to make payments more efficient. bKash is also playing a role in this process for which I express my gratitude to the company.” CEO & Managing Director of IDLC Finance M Jamal Uddin said, “After integration with bKash, we have acquired 1.2 million customers so quickly which has never happened before. Before getting connected with bKash, we had no idea that the people of Bangladesh were that much interested in savings. We have seen that the victims of flood during August-September this year, withdrew their savings to meet emergency needs; and the interesting thing is when the situation came to normal, people have again started opening new savings.” Managing Director & CEO of Mutual Trust Bank Syed Mahbubur Rahman said, “The future is bleak without collaboration and co-creation. It is quite costly for banks to reach out to marginalised communities of their own. MFS has made this process easier. Such partnerships are assisting us to reach goals more efficiently.” Managing Director & CEO of Dhaka Bank Sheikh Mohammad Maroof, said, “Everyone has some sort of responsibility to improve the financial ecosystem in the country. To bring the financial services to common people, issues like regulations, policy framework, and cyber security need to be emphasised by the regulatory authorities. Besides, the government should motivate and incentivise people to raise their trust on digital transactions.” City Bank Managing Director and CEO Mashrur Arefin said, “bKash has changed the landscape for banks in Bangladesh. Banking services are reaching people in all corners of the country through bank-MFS collaboration. Like City Bank’s Islamic banking, City Bank’s Islamic saving is available in the bKash app. It has been brought to the customers in compliance with complete Shariah-based rules vetted by the Sharia Advisory Board.” Managing Director & CEO of BRAC Bank Selim R. F. Hussain said, “Compared to many other countries, Bangladesh’s savings rate is quite low, which means there is room for more effort in this sector. When individuals save for various needs, it also becomes significant for the country’s economy. The more savings are there, banks can channel them into investments in various businesses. Investment should not only come from abroad, our local investment should come from our own savings.” Read more: Renata Pharmaceutical to use bKash’s ‘Cash Pickup’ service Speaking at the event, founder and CEO of bKash Kamal Quadir said, “Prosperity begins with savings. The day someone saves one taka, the future plan starts. That’s the beauty of savings on the bKash app. The policy support of Bangladesh Bank was crucial too in this regard. bKash would never be able to reach this point without the infrastructure of its partner banks. Currently, bKash customers can open monthly and weekly DPS with four commercial banks and a financial institution. Subjecting to DPS type and organisation, customers can save from as little as Tk 250 to Tk 10,000. By following some simple steps, anyone can open DPS by tapping on ‘Savings’ icon in the bKash app. Besides, upon maturity of the DPS, customers can cash out the money without any charge.    

A Chattogram court on Monday sentenced two people including a former banker for several years in a case over the embezzlement of Tk 50 lakh from accounts of customers from 2014 to 2019. The court of Chattogram Divisional Special Judge Munshi Abdul Majid also fined the convicts, said Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) lawyer Mahmudul Hoque, also public prosecutor of the court. Of the convicts, the port city’s OR Nizam Road Branch former Manager of private Eastern Bank Md Iftekharul Kabir was sentenced 26 years’ imprisonment and fined Tk 1.04 crore, in default of which he will have to serve three more years’ jail. Apart from this, one Nishat Enterprise owner Mahmudul Hasan, a resident of the city’s Khulshi area, was awarded 13 years jail and fined Tk 76.30 lakh, otherwise he will have to stay in jail for 16 more months. to the case, the banker in collaboration with Hasan misappropriated Tk 50 lakh from FDR accounts of Ananya Barua, Rupon Ksihore Barua and Suprova Barua after opening a fake account from 2014 to 2019. Read more: Tk 3,700cr Embezzlement: HC wants to know steps taken against 5 Bangladesh Bank deputy governorsNurul Islam, deputy assistant director of ACC at Chattogram integrated office, filed a case against the duo on November 17, 2019. The court on Monday delivered the judgment in presence of the accused upon completion of all legal procedures, the PP added.

The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited in Bangladesh has launched instant (real-time) collection function for its customers. As part of bank’s focus on continuous innovation, the real-time collection enablement will greatly enhance the customer experience and deliver on the bank’s promise to make banking simpler, safer and smarter. Also read: HSBC, IBA award young talents of Bangladesh with future skills Instant (real-time) collection has been developed with the support from the National Payments Switch of Bangladesh (NPSB), facilitated by the central bank of the country, said a media release on Sunday.  Kevin Green, Country Head of Wholesale Banking, HSBC Bangladesh said, “Our digital transformation brings along a host of benefits for our customers and their supply chains.” Also read: HSBC supports students' int'l education journey The ability to receive payments in real time will reduce administrative time in accounts receivable reconciliation and help the customers to increase productivity and manage their cash flow more efficiently, Kevin Green added.

E-commerce platform Qcoom and their payment gateway Foster Corporation on Monday jointly submitted a list of 6,621 transactions  worth Tk 59.05 crore that they can refund. The list was jointly signed by the two companies and sent to the Commerce Ministry with a one page application form. The information is mentioned in the application form. The list of customers’ names is approximately 500 pages, sources of the ministry said. The application, signed on a white paper, does not use the company pads by Qcoom’s legal adviser Abul Kalam Azad and Foster Corporation’s senior manager Al Beruni. They did not mention any contact or even e-mail address. The application was addressed to AHM Safiquzzaman, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce. READ: Qcoom offers to refund Tk 59 crore to customers They sent the list as per the decision of an emergency meeting held at the Ministry of Commerce on December 28 to return the money of Qcoom customers stuck in the Foster Payment Gateway. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Law, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Bangladesh Bank, Qcoom and Foster. Sources said Tk398 crore of Qcoom was stuck at Foster Payment Gateway, of which purchase orders for about half the money have not been delivered to the customers. The Commerce Ministry asked them to find a way to refund customers if there were no legal complications. Safiquzzaman told UNB that for the time being, it is possible to refund Tk 59.5 crore as per the partial list of the customers. “Bangladesh Bank will take action in this regard as soon as possible. The two companies have been given time till next Sunday to give a complete list,” he said. Qcoom started its journey in February 2020. Like Evaly they were selling products at unfeasible discounts. Qcoom advertised the sale of motorcycles at low prices in various offers called 'Victory Hour', 'Independence Hour', 'Big Billion'. The company also promised to deliver the products to the customer within 2 to 15 days with advance payment.

Aggrieved E-orange customers staged demonstrations in the capital and tried to block a road near Matsya Bhaban, prompting the police to charge baton on them.   The customers staged the protests seeking their money back and the repatriation of the mastermind of fraudulent police inspector Sohel Rana. Witnesses said the cheated customers of E-orange, an e-commerce platform, formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club at noon.  When they tried to put barricades on the road near Matsya Bhaban around 1:30 pm, police charged baton and dispersed them. Police detained three people from the spot for interrogation, Sazzadur Rahman, DMP Ramna Division deputy commissioner, told UNB.  “Thursday is the last working day of the week and there was huge pressure of vehicles on roads, so we didn’t let them block road,” he said. During demonstrations, the protesters said as E-orange is a sister concern of Orange Bangladesh then it must bear its responsibility. READ: E-commerce firms like Evaly, E-orange to face action: DMP They also demanded the trial of all the cases related to E-orange in speedy trial tribunal and rejection of bail pleas of all the accused until the issue is settled. A Dhaka court on September 2 sent the owner of virtual outlet e-orange Sonia Mehzabin, her husband Masukur Rahman and Aman Ullah, Chief Operating Officer of E-orange, to jail in a fraud case filed over the embezzlement of Tk 1,100 crore from consumers. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Baki Billah passed the order rejecting their bail petition when they were produced before it on completion of their 5-day remand. Earlier on August 23, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan placed the accused on a 5-day remand in the fraud case. On August 17, the court sent them to jail rejecting their bail prayers when they surrendered to Dhaka Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abubakar Siddique's court. READ: Owner of e-orange.shop, 2 others land in jail On August 16, an aggrieved customer of E-Orange Md Taherul Islam filed a fraud case with Gulshan police station in presence of 37 other customers who testified against the accused.

Customers can now buy sacrificial animals from online cattle markets through bKash payment. Apart from buying animals from 11 online markets, they can also get home delivery and meat processing services through bKash payment. Of the 11 online markets, customers can buy cow and goat from Daraz, Othoba, Priyoshop, Gorur Hut, and Sadeeq Agro; cow from Ajkerdeal, BD Gorur Hut; goat from Jogan, Hungrynaki, and Khasihaat through bKash payment. Read: Online shopping: Up to 25% cashback on bKash payment A customer can choose the animal by visiting a relevant link or website. There is also a chance of talking to the seller directly over the phone or in some cases seeing the animal through video. After proper scrutiny, the customer can select the preferred animal and pay through bKash. Not only buying sacrificial animals, but customers can also enjoy services like booking of butchers and home delivery service from TruckLagbe. Customers can make home delivery payments through bKash as well. Customers from Dhaka will be able to pay for cattle on Priyoshop, Hungrynaki, and Khasihaat among 11 digital markets while customers from all districts can buy sacrificial animals from Ajkerdeal, Sadeeq Agro and Gorur Hut. Read: Up to 500 Tk Cashback on card to bKash 'Add Money' Customers from Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet can buy a sacrificial animal from Daraz.

A person entered a gun store and shooting range in a New Orleans suburb and fatally shot two people Saturday, prompting customers and staff to open fire on the shooter, a sheriff said. The shooter also died.

Popular furniture Brand Regal has come up with variations of furniture with new designs at Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF). The furniture brand is showcasing more than 100 furniture with aesthetic designs. Moreover, customers will get huge discount and attractive offer on purchasing Regal products.   Visitors will be able to find out the Regal Pavilion (No-02) turning on the right side after entering the fair through the main gate. The premier pavilion has been adorned with various types of bed, wardrobe, dressing table, sofa, sofa cum bed, divan, dining table, bookshelf and exclusive reading table. The furniture is made of wood, board and metal, said a press release.