Bangladesh’s financial system is entering a new era as mobile apps become the preferred way for people to manage their money. Over the past five years, app banking has grown at an unprecedented pace, turning digital services from a convenience into a daily necessity. Bangladesh Bank data shows that in July, internet banking accounted for more than 40 percent of all monthly transactions with activity crossing Tk1.13 lakh crore. This shift reflects a major change in customer behavior, especially among young and tech aware users who now prefer banking through their phones instead of visiting branches.
City Bank’s Citytouch is one of the most striking examples of this transformation. Launched in 2013 with slow progress in the early years, the platform suddenly accelerated and expanded from seventy two thousand users to more than eight lakh eighty two thousand in four and a half years. Daily transactions surged from Tk27 crore in 2020 to Tk400 crore this year. This rapid move to digital banking has allowed City Bank to save around Tk20 crore every month in staffing costs while serving customers more efficiently.
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BRAC Bank’s Astha app has also crossed major milestones. With more than twelve lakh users, Astha now handles seventy one percent of the bank’s total transactions. Customers conduct nearly Tk20,000 crore in monthly activity through the platform. Tasks that once required hours at a branch, such as paying bills, applying for deposits, updating card settings or managing DPS and FDR accounts, can now be completed in minutes. Annual transactions through Astha jumped from Tk12,000 crore in 2021 to Tk134,000 crore in 2024, showing a strong shift toward secure, traceable and convenient digital services.
Dutch Bangla Bank’s NexusPay continues to play a central role in the country’s digital payments network. With nearly seventy lakh users and more than Tk21,000 crore in monthly transactions, the app has helped expand financial access to rural communities through agent banking and simple USSD based services. For many farmers, small shop owners and garment workers, the phone has become a reliable wallet and the first entry point into formal banking.
bKash remains the largest mobile financial platform in the country, with more than eight crore users relying on its app for daily transactions. The company’s focus on easy visual design and intuitive features has helped reduce literacy gaps and made digital payments accessible to millions.
Eastern Bank’s Skybanking has shown one of the fastest growth rates in the sector. Over the past five years, the user base grew by four hundred and thirty seven percent, transaction volume by seven hundred and seventy five percent and total value by two thousand six hundred and ninety five percent. Nearly half a million customers now use the app with a conversion rate close to fifty percent.
Mutual Trust Bank’s MTB Neo app is also expanding steadily, now serving nearly two and a half lakh users with a thirty five percent annual growth rate. Monthly transactions have increased by ninety percent year on year, reaching Tk2,000 crore.
Together, these platforms have changed how Bangladeshis think about money. People can now open accounts, send funds, pay school fees, complete business transactions, recharge phones or even apply for loans without setting foot inside a branch. Digital payments support every level of the economy from micro merchants using BanglaQR to large corporations completing high value transfers.
Bangladesh is moving closer to becoming a cash light society, and app banking is leading the way. As banks invest in better technology and customers embrace mobile solutions, the country’s financial future is becoming faster, safer and more inclusive than ever before.