The number of bank accounts opened through agent banking in Bangladesh continued to rise, reaching 27.22 million by the end of June 2026, according to the latest quarterly data from Bangladesh Bank.
The total stood at 27,224,256 accounts at the end of the April-June quarter, marking a 2.77 per cent increase from the previous quarter. The figures were reported in Bangladesh Bank’s quarterly report on agent banking for April-June 2026.
The expansion reflects the growing role of agent banking in bringing formal financial services to people, particularly in rural and underserved areas where conventional bank branches may be less accessible.
By the end of June, 30 banks were providing agent banking services through 15,424 agents operating 20,597 outlets across the country. The number of agents increased by 1.58 per cent during the quarter, while the number of outlets rose by 1.27 per cent.
Women and rural customers accounted for a substantial share of the total accounts. Of the 27,224,256 agent banking accounts, 13,558,918 were held by women, representing almost half of all accounts. Rural customers held 23,027,755 accounts, or about 85 per cent of the total.
Bangladesh Bank said the continued increase in the number of accounts points to rising demand for agent banking among people from different sections of society. Women’s accounts grew by 3.6 per cent during the quarter, outpacing the growth in accounts held by men.
Deposits and lending gain momentum
Agent banking is also becoming an increasingly significant channel for deposit mobilisation. Total deposits collected through the system reached Tk519,072.92 million at the end of June, equivalent to roughly Tk51,907 crore.
Deposits increased by 1.96 per cent compared with the previous quarter and by 13.82 per cent from a year earlier. The year-on-year rise indicates that customers are increasingly using agent outlets not only for basic transactions but also to save money within the formal banking system.
Lending through agent banking recorded an even stronger increase. Total loans disbursed through the channel stood at Tk408,703.97 million, or about Tk40,870 crore, at the end of June. Loan disbursement rose by 8.26 per cent from the March quarter and by 40.89 per cent compared with a year earlier.
As a result, the loan-to-deposit ratio of agent banking increased to 78.74 per cent in June, from 74.16 per cent in March. The rise suggests that agent outlets are playing a growing role in extending credit, alongside their traditional function of collecting deposits and facilitating banking transactions.
Of the 30 banks involved in agent banking, 23 were engaged in lending operations as of June.
Rural customers received the largest share of loans disbursed through the system. They accounted for 64.17 per cent of total lending, receiving Tk262,263.99 million. Women, however, received Tk52,002.06 million, equivalent to just 12.72 per cent of total loans.
The relatively low share of lending received by women indicates scope for expanding access to credit for female customers and entrepreneurs through agent banking outlets.
Agent banking strengthens remittance distribution
Agent banking is also playing an important role in distributing remittances, particularly outside major urban centres.
The amount of inward remittances distributed through agents reached Tk2,149.041 million at the end of June. This was 1.76 per cent higher than in the previous quarter and 16.87 per cent higher than a year earlier.
Rural beneficiaries received 90.44 per cent of the total remittances distributed through agent banking. The figure highlights the importance of the network in ensuring that money sent home by migrant workers can reach families living in areas where access to conventional bank branches may be limited.
For many rural households, the availability of financial services through nearby agent outlets can reduce the need to travel to larger towns or urban centres for routine banking transactions.
Bangladesh Bank has identified agent banking as an important instrument of financial inclusion, particularly for people who remain outside the regular branch-based banking network. Through agent outlets, customers can access services including deposits, loans, remittance payments, bill payments and benefits under government social safety-net programmes.
Female ownership of outlets expands
Women’s participation in agent banking is increasing not only as customers but also as outlet owners.
By June 2026, 28 banks were providing services through 2,106 outlets owned by 1,776 female entrepreneurs. These women-owned outlets represented 10.22 per cent of the country’s total agent banking outlets.
The outlets collectively held 2.34 million accounts, of which 1.94 million belonged to customers in rural areas. The figures indicate that women entrepreneurs are becoming part of the delivery network through which formal financial services are reaching communities beyond traditional banking centres.
Bangladesh Bank is encouraging banks to use agent banking channels to extend financing to cottage, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as women entrepreneurs. Banks are also being encouraged to implement refinancing schemes aimed at supporting marginalised sections of the population.
The increase in the loan-to-deposit ratio also points to a gradual shift in the role of agent outlets, with greater emphasis on extending credit at the local level rather than limiting their activities to deposits and basic transactions.
More than a decade of agent banking
Bangladesh introduced agent banking in 2013 as an alternative way of delivering banking services to people living in geographically remote areas and communities with limited access to conventional branches.
Over the years, the system has expanded beyond basic account opening. Agent outlets now provide a range of services, including deposit-taking, loan disbursement, remittance distribution, bill payments and access to government social safety-net benefits.
The June 2026 figures show how extensively the system has developed. With more than 27 million accounts, over 20,000 outlets and a large concentration of customers in rural areas, agent banking has become a significant part of Bangladesh’s financial services network.
Its growing reach also brings new priorities. While women account for almost half of agent banking accounts, their share of total lending remains considerably lower. Expanding access to productive credit for women and strengthening services for rural customers are therefore likely to remain important areas as agent banking continues to develop.
The latest figures suggest that agent banking is no longer simply an alternative to conventional bank branches. It is increasingly functioning as a channel for savings, credit, remittances and wider financial inclusion, particularly among communities outside the country’s major urban centres.
