Bangladesh Bank has intensified its push toward a cashless economy by renaming its Cashless Bangladesh Unit as the Bangla QR Implementation Unit, signaling a sharper focus on nationwide QR adoption.
The central bank said the restructuring is part of its broader push to expand inclusive digital payment infrastructure, with a focus on scaling up the Bangla QR ecosystem.
The strategic move to rename the Cashless Unit is aimed at accelerating digital payments and reducing dependence on cash.
Bangladesh Bank reiterated several compliance requirements for financial institutions.
The regulator further instructed banks to appoint a dedicated Bangla QR branding officer in every branch to strengthen implementation at the field level.
Banks have also been instructed to onboard all retail account holders with valid trade licences into the Bangla QR network.
It further instructed customer registration on mobile banking applications, ensuring the Bangla QR payment option is prominently displayed on app homepages, and expanding merchant onboarding under the QR system.
In addition, each financial institution must prepare an action plan with measurable targets for customer registration and merchant onboarding and submit it to the Payment Systems Department by 03 June.
Earlier, the central bank had directed that Bangla QR acceptance would be made mandatory across all merchant points by 30 June, as part of its broader effort to streamline and secure the country’s digital payment ecosystem.
Bangla QR, an interoperable digital payment transfer system, was launched in 2023.
