Although digital banking has good potential in the current era of information technology, Bangladesh is not able to utilize this potential due to the absence of supportive policies, lack of trust among users, inadequate infrastructure, lack of coordination among regulatory agencies, and high cost of used equipment, said the participants in the focus group discussion organized by DCCI.

It is noteworthy that Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) organized a focus group discussion on “Digital Banking for All: Bridging the Financial Inclusion Gap” on September 25, 2025. In the meeting held at the DCCI auditorium, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Department of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, Shish Haider Chowdhury, ndc, and Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Md. Ejazul Islam was present as the chief guest and special guest respectively.

In his welcome speech at the event, Dhaka Chamber President Taskin Ahmed said that although mobile financial services were introduced in Bangladesh in 2011, currently about 54% of the country's people are using this facility, which has ensured easier access to financial services. However, he expressed his opinion that the potential of this sector is not being utilized due to cybersecurity, protection of consumer rights and lack of trust. Along with making digital services more affordable, increasing financial and digital literacy, the DCCI President emphasized on further increasing coordination between banks and fintech regulatory agencies. He also said that the issue of trust and security is closely related to financial digital services, which everyone should emphasize.

Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Secretary of the Information and Communication Technology Department, Sheesh Haider Chowdhury, NDC, said that the government, private sector and education sector are working towards the same goal to modernize and ensure digital services in the country. He said that the modernization of the digital system is giving more importance to four issues - inclusion, accessibility, integration and expansion. The secretary also said that the data of 5 crore citizens was found on the dark web due to improper data registration process, so the data encryption process should be made proper and surveillance should be strengthened. There are other facilities including the necessary infrastructure for digital banking, including manpower, and appropriate policy support will be provided by the government, he assured. He said that the government is working on the issue of receiving all citizen services through a one-stop service to provide citizen services and 10 citizen services have already been launched in Dhaka city. He said that the government has taken the initiative to enact a personal data protection ordinance, which he hopes will be completed within the next month.

The special guest of the meeting, Bangladesh Bank Executive Director Dr. Md. Ejazul Islam, said that the country has come a long way in financial services such as debit, credit, deposit, insurance and payment services, but more people need to be involved in such activities. He said that till August this year, there was a money circulation of 3 lakh 15 thousand crore taka, while the general public has 2 lakh 27 thousand crore taka outside the banking channel and the banks have only 29 thousand crore taka. He also said that so far, only 27-28% of the transactions in the financial sector have been made through digital payments, and the remaining 70 percent is done through traditional systems.

While presenting the keynote address at the event, Robi Axiata PLC's Head of Commercial Partnerships Sanjid Hasan said that the digital banking market in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to be worth US$ 4,678.47 million in 2025, which is expected to grow to US$ 11,238.6 million by 2033. He said that many people lack confidence in our traditional banking activities, whereas digital activities create opportunities for growth. He expressed the view that there is an opportunity to increase the country's digital banking market to US$ 30 billion. However, to make it safe, it is imperative to implement an integrated and cyber security eco-system, otherwise there is a possibility of major dangers. He also emphasized on further enhancing the surveillance activities of the central bank. He expressed the view that it is necessary to ensure the spread of digital services in the marginalized areas of the country by making necessary equipment like smartphones and internet available at affordable prices.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Deputy Commissioner (DB) Md. Elias Zico, Shanta Asset Management Limited Vice Chairman Arif Khan, City Bank PLC Additional Managing Director Kazi Azizur Rahman, Battles Cyber ​​Security Limited Chief Cyber ​​Operations Officer Shahi Mirza and Omega Exim Limited Director Rezwan Ali also participated in the scheduled discussion.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of DMP Md. Elias Zico said that numerous customers are being cheated through misuse of digital systems in the financial sector, so the issue of introducing a renewal system after opening a mobile banking customer account can be considered. He also expressed the opinion that financial service providers need to focus more on ensuring the security of customers. He said that about 10-20 crore taka is being cheated through fraud every day.