BB seeks private investors to take over ‘Nagad’

Bangladesh Bank (BB) is looking for new investors to transfer ownership of the digital financial service ‘Nagad’ to the private sector, with the process expected to be completed within three to four months.

Ahsan H. Mansur, governor of Bangladesh Bank, announced this at the ‘Cashless Bangladesh Summit 2025’ held in Dhaka on Wednesday (August 27), organized by MasterCard and the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB).

BB Governor said, "Managing cash through the post office is no longer feasible, and technology companies must step forward."

He added that past irregularities, including fake member registrations, have been corrected, and Nagad is now stable and growing.

Highlighting the country’s rising cash demand—about 10 percent annually, requiring nearly Tk 2,000 crore in cash supply—he emphasized the importance of promoting cashless transactions.

Bangladesh Bank has also introduced initiatives such as mandatory QR codes, digitizing agent banking, and approving five private credit bureaus.