Bank Asia's new vision and priorities are set on good governance, transparency, financial inclusion, and innovation, on their 25th anniversary under the banner of "embracing change."
A target has been set to increase the daily agent banking turnover from the current level of Tk250 crore to Tk1,000 crore within the next two years, alongside doubling their agent banking points.
At a press conference on Tuesday, arranged a day before the 25th anniversary of Bank Asia (November 27), the bank's Managing Director Sohail RK Hussain spoke about these goals.
Speaking at the event, organized as part of the celebrations, managing director Sohail RK Hussain reflected on the bank’s journey and shared its plans.
Since its inception, Bank Asia has been at the forefront of introducing innovative banking services with its pioneering role in transforming the nation’s economic landscape.
The bank launched Bangladesh’s first agent banking service in 2014 to ensure financial inclusion with the right of banking services to people nationwide, regardless of profession and background. This initiative has been crucial in making financial services accessible to remote areas and underprivileged communities, he remarked.
Agent banking has also been instrumental in contributing significantly to achieving Bangladesh’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Bank Asia's agent banking management is the largest in the country. However, we want to increase it further. Currently, we have 40,000 agent banking points, and we plan to double this in the next two years. If this is done, our agent banking transactions will increase fourfold from Tk250 crore daily to Tk1,000 crore.”
“For the past 25 years, Bank Asia has continuously opened new doors and unfolded new opportunities in the banking sector. From simplifying agriculture and SME loans to expediting government social safety allowance disbursement, pioneering the Income Sharing Ratio (ISR) model in Islamic banking, launching the Pioneer payment gateway, introducing agent banking and micro-merchant services, to implementing voice banking, the bank has embraced innovation to keep up with evolving needs of its customers in the post-COVID era and set new benchmarks in banking services,” he added.
Bank Asia is deeply committed to strengthening the country’s banking sector and the economic development of the people.
Since its inception, the bank has continued its multifaceted corporate social responsibility efforts.
Its key initiatives include providing scholarships to underprivileged meritorious students in rural areas, free eye surgeries for blind children from disadvantaged families, and establishing the Bank Asia-Maa Amiran Hospital.
Additional Managing Directors Shafiuzzaman and ANM Mahfuz, Deputy Managing Directors Mohammad Ziaul Hasan Molla, SM Iqbal Hossain, Alamgir Hossain, SM Anisuzzaman, Arekul Arefin, Mirza Azhar Ahmed, senior departmental heads and the chief financial officer were also present on the occasion.
Established on November 27, 1999, Bank Asia quickly became prominent among private commercial banks, earning its reputation for operational excellence and customer-focused services.
Starting with corporate banking, the bank now boasts 135 branches, 15 sub-branches, 5 Islamic windows, over 5,000 agent outlets, and supports more than 50,000 micro-merchants, ensuring seamless banking services across the country.
Bank Asia Securities Limited also operates 12 branches, and the bank has two exchange houses in London and the United States.
