BB asks banks, MFS to keep 'Bangla QR' visible on app homepages

Bangladesh Bank has instructed all banks, mobile financial services (MFS), payment service providers (PSPs) and payment system operators (PSOs) to keep the "Bangla QR" payment option visibly placed on the homepages of their mobile apps to reduce cash usage and accelerate digital payment infrastructure.

The central bank also mandated renaming the previously announced "Cashless Bangladesh Unit" as the "Bangla QR Implementation Unit."

The directives were issued through a circular today (23 May) and sent to the chief executives of all scheduled banks and financial institutions for immediate implementation.

According to the circular, banks and MFS providers must increase customer registrations on mobile apps and ensure that the Bangla QR option is positioned on the homepage in a way that is easily visible and accessible for users.

The circular further directs banks to mandatorily onboard all retail account holders with trade licences onto the Bangla QR channel.

Setting specific targets, the central bank said institutions must prepare a detailed action plan to boost mobile app registrations and onboard new merchants to the Bangla QR channel by 31 July 2026.

The action plan, including specific targets, must be submitted to the Bangladesh Bank's Payment Systems Department by 3 June 2026.

As part of efforts to expand digital payment adoption at the field level, banks have also been instructed to designate an official in each branch as a "Bangla QR Branding Officer."

The central bank added that the previously set deadline of 30 June for ensuring a single QR code at all merchant points remains unchanged, and all other instructions from earlier circulars will remain in force.