bKash

bKash
Type of business Private
Headquarters Dhaka, Bangladesh
Key people Kamal Quadir (CEO)
Services Payment system
Parent Brac Bank, Ant Financial, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Money in Motion LLC, International Finance Corporation [1]
Website bkash.com
Launched 2011
Current status Online

bKash (Bengali: বিকাশ) is a mobile financial service in Bangladesh operating under the authority of Bangladesh Bank as a subsidiary of BRAC Bank Limited.[2] This mobile money system started as a joint venture between BRAC Bank Limited, Bangladesh and Money in Motion LLC, United States of America. bKash users can deposit money into their mobile accounts and then access a range of services, in particular transferring and receiving money domestically, making payments and buying airtime top-up. In April 2013, International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, became an equity partner and in March 2014, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation became an investor in the company.[3]

Fortune magazine ranked bKash among the top 50 companies in the list of "Change the World" in 2017.[4] According to them, 22% of Bangladeshi adults use bKash with around 4.5 million daily transactions.[4]

History

bKash was launched in 21st July 2011 in Bangladesh, with basic services: cash in, cash out, send money, airtime top-up and bills payment keeping in mind that more than 70% of the population of Bangladesh lives in rural areas where access to formal banking services is difficult.[5][6]

Coverage

bKash can be accessed via several telephone networks in Bangladesh. bKash’s agent network covers both urban and rural areas in much of Bangladesh.[7] As of 2018, bKash was the largest provider of mobile financial services (MFS) in Bangladesh.[8]

In June 2017 there were some 17 providers of mobile financial services (MFS), but the two largest, bKash and Rocket, had a combined market share of over 99%.[9] In this month total MFS transactions were in excess of Tk 1,000 crore ($3.68 billion USD).[9]

bKash has requested official permission to provide loan and insurance services.[8]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.bkash.com/node/2473
  2. ↑ Banker, The. "Bangladesh's bKash revolution". www.thebanker.com.
  3. ↑ Al-Mahmood, Syed Zain (24 June 2015). "Mobile Banking Provides Lifeline for Bangladeshis" – via www.wsj.com.
  4. 1 2 "Fortune lists bKash among 50 companies that are changing the world". Dhaka Tribune. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "BRAC Bank's bKash Launches Mobile Banking Services in Bangladesh". Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  6. ↑ "BKASH: TIP OF THE ICEBERG". The Daily Star. 2017-04-07. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  7. ↑ Administrator. "Information on Mobile Banking". rtn.bcc.net.bd.
  8. 1 2 "Loan, insurance services thru' MFS likely within five years". The Financial Express. International Publications Limited. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  9. 1 2 Islam, Muhammad Zahidul (July 26, 2017). "Daily transactions reach Tk 1,000cr". The Daily Star. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
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