Entrepreneurs across the country have demanded that Agrani Bank relaunch its agent service after settling all debts and compensations.
The demand was made at a press conference held on Wednesday (3 December) at the National Press Club in the capital. Speaking on behalf of the entrepreneurs, Md. Abu Said stated, “For the past ten years, Agrani Bank’s agent banking service has been one of the most successful and popular services in the country. However, on 19 June, the bank suddenly closed all agent outlets nationwide.”
He added, “We were given a ‘temporary’ closure notice with assurances that the bank would soon resume services under its own system. Yet, nearly six months have passed without implementation. Initially, the bank stopped bill commissions from 2023 citing Bangladesh Bank’s objections and eventually shut down the entire agent business. Now, citing court excuses, millions of customers are deprived of service.”
Md. Abu Said further stated, “Entrepreneurs are currently in dire financial situations. Operating a single outlet costs between 60,000 to 100,000 taka per month, which is a personal investment burden. The bank’s chairman and GM Roufa Haque had promised direct agreements after software upgrades, but they failed, destroying a successful business.”
Key demands raised at the press conference:
| Serial | Demand |
|---|---|
| 1 | Agrani Bank should immediately pay all debts and compensations and restart the agent service. |
| 2 | The chairman should resign, and responsible officials should be brought under legal scrutiny. |
| 3 | The ongoing arbitration case in court should be resolved promptly. |
KhaborwalaASN
