Bank Asia launches Bangladesh’s first ATM booth for women

Bank Asia has launched the country’s first Women ATM booth at Sonakanda in Keranigonj, outskirt of capital city Dhaka aiming to encourage females’ access to digital transactions and improve financial management.

Adil Chowdhury, president and managing director, Bank Asia inaugurated the ATM booth at the premise of Bank Asia DPO Agent Outlet at Sonakandaon on Tuesday, read a press release.

Inaugurating the programme, Adil Chowdhury said that we are committed to bring more unbanked people into the banking network to help achieve sustainable economic development through boosting financial inclusion across the country. He also said Bank Asia has been working relentlessly to provide services to all segments of society, including rural masses and marginalized people living in the remotest parts of Bangladesh.

Chowdhury expressed his optimism that the new Women ATM booth would play a pivotal role in encouraging women segment to digital banking transaction. Later, the president and managing director inaugurated a Women Corner inside Sonakanda Agent Outlet.

Mohammad Ziaul Hasan Molla, deputy managing director of Bank Asia; Jason Lamb, deputy director and Snigdha Ali, senior programme officer of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation were present.

“The Women ATM is the first of its kind initiative in Bangladesh as well as in the world probably. I never saw it before,” Jason Lamb explained. The programme turned into a festive mood in the presence of a huge number of female clients and locals.

Bank Asia with support from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation set up the Women ATM aiming to facilitate financial inclusion activities through reinforcing women empowerment in Bangladesh with a two-year grant based digital financial inclusion project.

Under the same project three more Women ATMs have started operation from Tuesday at Begum Badrunnesa Govt. Girls’ College, Kodomtola and Paris Road City Digital Center Agent Outlets in Dhaka city to encourage women clients. Besides, another six women ATMs will be set up in different places of the country under the project.