A disability-inclusive banking training module jointly developed by Prime Bank PLC, Team Inclusion Bangladesh Foundation and Monash University, Australia, has entered a new phase of international expansion with a Training of Trainers (ToT) program in Surabaya, Indonesia.
The four-day program, titled “Breaking Attitudinal Barriers: Inclusive Banking for Persons with Disabilities,” was held on October 12-15 at Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS), Surabaya.
First implemented in Bangladesh and hosted by Prime Bank in May 2025, the research-based module integrates behavioural science, practical banking experience and the lived experiences of persons with disabilities to address attitudinal, communication and institutional barriers to financial inclusion.
The international program was organized through a collaboration among Prime Bank PLC as practice partner, Team Inclusion Bangladesh Foundation, the Opportunity Tech Lab at Monash Business School, ITS Surabaya and PERTUNI Surabaya.
MM Mahbub Hasan, senior vice president and head of financial inclusion and school banking at Prime Bank PLC, contributed as a trainer and banking practitioner.
He shared practical insights into inclusive financial services and institutional banking practices.
Md Jahirul Islam, founder and executive director of Team Inclusion Bangladesh Foundation, served as program designer and lead trainer.
He oversaw the program’s design, its adaptation to the Indonesian context and training delivery.
Associate professor Abu Zafar Shahriar of Monash Business School, Monash University, associated with the Opportunity Tech Lab, provided academic and research leadership for the initiative.
Berto Mulia Wibawa, head of the Department of Business Management at ITS Surabaya, provided institutional leadership and coordination, supported by ITS faculty members Mohamad Rijal Iskandar and Puti Sinansari.
The program also engaged disability rights practitioner Yustitia M Arief and trainers with visual and hearing disabilities.
Participating and supporting institutions included PNM, Uprintis Indonesia, Kawan Ayu, Bank Indonesia and Bank Mega Syariah.
The training combined experiential learning, accessible communication, behavioural exercises, disability rights principles and institutional action planning to strengthen participants’ capacity to deliver inclusive banking training.
Monash University has completed the program’s evaluation and certification process, assessing participants’ learning outcomes and their preparedness to facilitate disability-inclusive banking training.
The evaluation indicated improvements in participants’ knowledge, facilitation confidence and readiness to conduct training independently, highlighting the module’s potential for wider institutional application.
Following the Indonesia program, the initiative is expected to expand through a proposed national Training of Trainers program in Bangladesh under the Lead Bank Model, with engagement from Bangladesh Bank.
The initiative reflects a growing collaboration among financial service providers, disability-led organizations and academic institutions to promote accessible, equitable and rights-based banking services internationally.
