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A brief history of bKash 

In Bangladesh, a large number of people are unbanked, meaning they don't have access to basic financial services such as savings accounts, loans, and insurance. This makes it difficult for them to manage their money, save for the future, and protect themselves from financial risks.

At the same time, mobile phone penetration in Bangladesh is high, with over 165 million mobile phone users in the country. This presented an opportunity to leverage mobile technology to provide financial services to people who may not have access to physical banking services.

Thus, the founders of bKash saw an opportunity to use mobile phones to create a mobile financial service platform that would allow people to easily send and receive money, pay bills, and access other financial services. By doing so, they aimed to help drive financial inclusion in Bangladesh, making it easier for people to manage their money, save for the future, and protect themselves from financial risks.

The idea of bKash was originally conceived by the brother duo Kamal Quadir and Iqbal Quadir. Qudir brothers previously played a significant role in Bangladesh’s telecom and e-commerce industry. As a pioneer in the mobile telecom industry in Bangladesh, Iqbal Quadir has been a long proponent of the power of mobile phones to transform societies. In 2015, he gave a talk on TED on the power of mobile phones to fight poverty.

On the other hand, Kamal Quadir was the founder of Bangladesh’s first mobile phone base e-commerce platform Cellbazaar, which he later sold to Grameenphone. This understanding of the power of mobile phones made the Quadir brothers a perfect protagonist for a venture like bKash.

Not only they had the first experience of this revolution, they saw the success of mobile financial services in emerging markets like the Philippines and Kenya and decided to bring it to Bangladesh. But in order to do this, they needed a local partner. They started communicating with Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder of BRAC, in 2008. In 2010, they agreed to create a joint venture between Money in Motion and BRAC Bank.

"No matter how serious the bank or the government is about financial inclusion, it would not be achieved through this model (transaction through banks). So I thought of a system that would protect the client's interest by remaining fully regulated by the central bank and at the same time, reduce the cost of the transaction,” Kamal Quadir to told TBS in a recent interview.

So bKash was founded in 2010 as a joint venture between BRAC Bank Limited, one of Bangladesh's leading private banks, and Money in Motion LLC, a United States-based technology company. The company was officially launched in 2011. Over the years, bKash has grown to become the leading mobile financial service provider in Bangladesh with a network of nearly 300,000 agents and 300,000 merchants across the country. Today, bKash has expanded in all directions.

The company has not only become an on-in-all platform for all kinds of financial services from P2P money transfer to payment to various bill payment and shopping services, but it has also become an integral part of the digital services ecosystem in Bangladesh as an underlying platform to power the payment for the growing digital economy in the country.

The company is poised to become much more than what it originally started with.

Let’s take a look at the history of bKash and its evolution over the years.

Company History

  • 2011: bKash launched its services officially on Robi Networks. Initially offering a simple way to send and receive money using mobile phones. Over time, bKash expanded its services to include bill payments, mobile top-ups, and other financial transactions.
  • 2012: bKash crossed more than 2 million registered customers. In the same year, bKash launched the service ATM cash out in partnership with BRAC Bank. This service allowed bKash customers to withdraw cash from their mobile wallets at any of the BRAC Bank ATMs located across Bangladesh. This was a major innovation in the mobile financial services industry, as it provided bKash customers with greater convenience and flexibility when it came to accessing their money.
  • 2013: bKash established 50,000 agent points across the country, providing access to its services in even the most remote areas of Bangladesh. These agent points acted as cash-in and cash-out locations, allowing customers to deposit and withdraw money from their bKash accounts. The establishment of 50,000 agent points was a significant achievement for bKash, as it helped to increase the accessibility of its services to millions of people who were previously unbanked. In the same year, bKash also crossed the milestone of 10 million registered users.
    • In April 2013, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, invests in bKash and becomes an equity partner.
  • 2014: bKash crossed more than 15 million registered users. Received “The Global Brand Excellence Award” and “The Manthan Award”.
  • 2015: Achieved 20 million registered users and received mBillionth Award.
  • 2016: bKash achieved two significant milestones that reflect the company's leadership and innovation in the mobile financial services industry. First, bKash was recognized as the number 1 mobile financial services (MFS) provider in the world. Secondly, in the same year, bKash launched its remittance service, which allows customers to receive money from abroad directly into their bKash accounts. This service has made it easier and more affordable for Bangladeshis living abroad to send money back home to their families and loved ones.
    • The launch of bKash's remittance service has had a significant impact on the lives of millions of people in Bangladesh. It has helped to reduce the cost and time required to transfer money from abroad and has provided a safe and secure way for people to receive money directly into their mobile wallets. This has contributed to the growth of the digital economy in Bangladesh and has helped to improve financial inclusion in the country.
  • 2017: bKash was ranked 23rd in Fortune's Top 50 'Change the World' list. This list recognizes companies that have made a positive impact on society through their business operations and practices. Secondly, bKash achieved a customer base of over 30 million, which is a significant milestone for the company.
  • 2018: bKash received the Best Brand Award in the Mobile Financial Service category. This award recognizes bKash as the most popular and trusted brand in the mobile financial service sector in Bangladesh.
    • In April 2018 Ant Financial, the operator of Alipay (an affiliate company of Chinese giant Alibaba Group), invests in bKash and announces a strategic partnership.
  • 2019: bKash received the Most Loved Brands Award in the Mobile Financial Service category. This award is given to brands that are loved and trusted by their customers, and it reflects the high level of customer satisfaction and loyalty towards bKash.
    • In addition to receiving the Most Loved Brands Award, bKash also launched its bKash NEXT app. The launch of the bKash NEXT app reflects the company's commitment to expanding its service offerings and providing more value to its customers.
  • 2020: bKash was awarded the Best Brand award, which recognizes bKash as the most trusted and respected brand in the mobile financial services category in Bangladesh. This award is given to brands that demonstrate excellence in customer service, innovation, and market leadership. The same year, bKash was ranked as the No.1 Mobile Financial Services Brand in Bangladesh.
  • 2021: bKash was recognized as the number 1 employer of choice in Bangladesh by Nielsen, a globally reputed organization specializing in research.
    • In November 2021, bKash announced an investment from SoftBank Vision Fund 2, which valued the company at US$2 billion dollars. bKash is the only privately held company in Bangladesh to be valued at over a billion dollars, making it the first unicorn in the country.

Product and services

Add Money: Add money from your bank account to bKash, from Mastercard to bKash, and from any Visa card to your bKash account without any charge.

bKash to Bank: By using the bKash to bank service, now people can directly deposit money to bank accounts from bKash App through Banks & Bangladeshi-issued Visa Debit Card.

Pay Bill: Can pay electricity, gas, telephone, water, internet, cable tv, City Bank American Express (AMEX) credit card, Visa credit card bills, etc.

Cash In: To deposit money or Cash into bKash Account

Cash Out: If there is sufficient balance in any bKash Account, the account holder can cash out anytime from any bKash Agent and also from partner banks’ ATMs at a low rate of 1.49%.

Send Money: Can send money to any bKash number and non-bKash users. But the recipient can receive the sent amount once s/he opens a bKash Account within 72 hours.

Education Fee: One can pay the schools, colleges, universities, and other fees by using bKash.

Payment: People can make payments from their bKash Account to any “Merchant” who accepts “bKash Payment”. Now more than 47,000 outlets nationwide.
Mobile Recharge: bKash users can auto recharge on their phone

Remittance: Can send international remittances legally to loved ones' bKash accounts in the easiest way through authorized and enlisted Foreign Banks and Money Transfer Operators (MTO) anytime. And freelancers can also withdraw money from Payoneer through bKash.

Interest on Savings: Along with keeping money safe, people can also enjoy up to 3% Interest (per annum) on Savings on their bKash Account.

Donation: Can donate money for the prosperity of the society

Government Services: There are various online services available at the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) service portal. Car owners, drivers, and sellers can apply for various services through online payment upon registration. And can also pay the bills of any kind of NID fee.

Savings: bKash has two types of savings formats, one is “General Savings” where people can save their money easily and safely through bKash with attractive interest from the listed financial institutions. And another one is “ Islamic Savings” where people can save money and get Shariah-based profit from listed financial institutions.

Personal retail account: Personal Retail Account or PRA is a new type of business account by which micro and small businesses operating in retail and f-commerce segments can collect bKash payment easily from bKash customers against goods and services.

Insurances: Can pay insurance premiums easily with bKash

Loan: Launched a nano-loan product in partnership with The City Bank

Microfinance: Allows people to pay their loan, DPS, or savings installment to listed microfinance institutions through bKash. Users can get digital receipts and passbooks.

Endnote

Today, bKash is the leading mobile financial service provider in Bangladesh, with over 50 million registered users and a network of around 300,000 agents across the country. Its success has helped to drive financial inclusion in Bangladesh, providing access to essential financial services for millions of people who previously had limited options.

Useful Resources

Ayrin Saleha Ria works at Future Startup as a full-time Research Associate. She has a background in Applied Sociology. Before joining the FS team, she worked and volunteered with a number of social organizations. As someone who comes from a social science background, she takes a deep interest in research around important social-economic challenges in our society. A voracious reader, Ayrin is passionate about working for the betterment of society, takes a deep interest in human society and behavioral science, and loves books.

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