Title: Analysing financial inclusion strategies in Bangladesh: a Global Findex perspective

Authors: Mashrifa Islam

Addresses: School of Business, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract: Only 41% of people in Bangladesh have reported having a bank account (Global Findex, 2017); which means close to 100 million people in Bangladesh are out of the formal financial system. There has been a slow growth in the proportion of people with accounts in Bangladesh, which is unusual in the context of a rapidly developing South Asia, especially during a time where financial inclusion has taken centre stage among policy leaders. This study collates the financial inclusion policies adopted by the Government of Bangladesh and discusses how they translate to actual financial inclusion data found on the Global Findex database. It finds that to improve the financial inclusion scenario, Bangladesh should build urgency around rural branch penetration, improve nationwide financial awareness, build trust in the banking sector, and nurture the digital financial service sector.

Keywords: financial inclusion; strategies; Bangladesh; Findex; policy; government; development; inclusive.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEPEE.2022.121350

International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, 2022 Vol.15 No.2/3/4, pp.331 - 350

Received: 10 Dec 2019
Accepted: 24 Aug 2020
Published online: 07 Mar 2022 *

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