Millions of bank customers across Bangladesh are facing severe inconvenience following a sudden disruption to essential card and digital banking services across 30 commercial and state-owned banks. The extensive suspension, which affects Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), Cash Recycling Machines (CRMs), and Point of Sale (POS) terminals, stems from an extensive system migration undertaken by the shared electronic payment network, Q-Cash.
The service restrictions came into effect at 9:00 pm on Sunday, 4 October, and are scheduled to persist until 12:00 pm on Saturday, 10 October. According to official notices issued by the participating financial institutions, the migration is part of a broader infrastructure overhaul designed to modernise technological capabilities and reinforce cybersecurity measures across the shared network. Despite the outlined schedule, officials noted that standard operations might resume earlier should technical teams conclude the migration ahead of time.
The scale of the disruption has drawn significant scrutiny from Bangladesh Bank, the nation’s central regulator. The authority expressed deep dissatisfaction over the fact that the decision to limit vital services across 30 institutions was taken independently without prior notice to the regulator. Speaking on the matter, Arif Hossain Khan, Executive Director and Spokesperson for Bangladesh Bank, confirmed that while the upgrade aims to deliver safer and more modern banking, the failure of the participating institutions to inform the central bank beforehand remains a serious concern.
The disruption spans major commercial lenders, state-owned institutions, and foreign bank operations in the country. The 30 institutions involved include:
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Agrani Bank
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Bank Alfalah Bangladesh
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Bank Asia
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BASIC Bank
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Bangladesh Commerce Bank
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Bangladesh Krishi Bank
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Community Bank
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First Security Islami Bank
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ICB Islami Bank
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IFIC Bank
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Jamuna Bank
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Janata Bank
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Meghna Bank
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Mercantile Bank
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Midland Bank
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Modhumoti Bank
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National Bank
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NCC Bank
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NRB Commercial Bank
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NRB Global Bank
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Rupali Bank
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Shahjalal Islami Bank
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Shimanto Bank
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Social Islami Bank
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Sonali Bank
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South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank
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Trust Bank
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Union Bank
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Uttara Bank
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Woori Bank Bangladesh
Banking professionals have acknowledged that system upgrades and technical migrations are a standard operational necessity to maintain robust cyber defences and accommodate growing transactional volumes. However, the simultaneous limitation of services across such a broad swath of the financial sector creates significant potential for consumer hardship. Everyday activities—ranging from emergency cash withdrawals and retail purchasing via card terminals to e-commerce payments and QR-code transactions—are likely to encounter intermittent failures throughout the maintenance window.
To mitigate customer impact, individual banks have begun notifying account holders via mobile text messages, encouraging them to plan non-routine payments in advance. Bank officials clarified that while Q-Cash specific processing remains restricted, certain basic debit card functions remain operational. Furthermore, transactions routed through non-Q-Cash ATMs and POS terminals, national payment gateways such as Bangla QR, and Mobile Financial Services (MFS) platforms like bKash, Nagad, and Upay continue to operate as normal. Customers requiring urgent funds are advised to utilise these alternative digital avenues or visit physical bank branches during normal operating hours until the migration process concludes.
