A sudden malfunction of Bangladesh Bank’s server has caused widespread disruption to digital and internet banking services across the country.
Sources reported that the incident occurred at around 4:30pm on Thursday when a power outage and voltage fluctuations rendered the central bank’s main server inoperative.
Arif Hossain Khan, Executive Director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, stated that the outage and voltage instability resulted in a complete system shutdown. He said, “All inter-bank transactions are currently suspended. Bangladesh Bank’s full team is working to resolve the issue.”
Officials confirmed that efforts were underway to restore online services as swiftly as possible, though it remained uncertain how long it would take for the server to become fully operational again.
Customers reported throughout the night on social media that money transfers were failing, card payments were being declined, and apps were not opening, causing disruption to essential and urgent transactions.
Internet banking users were the worst affected, with issues involving logging into mobile apps and web platforms, fund transfers, online payments, and credit and debit card transactions. Users experienced significant inconvenience from the afternoon into the night while attempting to access banking services.
The disruption also impacted cheque clearing and both local and international payment settlements. The National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB), which handles inter-bank card-based transactions, was temporarily down, halting bank-to-bank transfers.
Several banks issued notices to customers stating: “Due to technical issues at Bangladesh Bank, NPSB services are temporarily unavailable. Efforts are underway to resolve the problem. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
KhaborwalaAMJ
