Published: 10:30 AM, 28 June 2026
‘Savings accounts near 17.8cr as total bank accounts top 19.32cr’
Bangladesh currently has more than 19.32 crore bank accounts, of which nearly 17.8 crore are savings accounts, Finance Minister Amir khosru Mahmud Chowdhury told parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to a written question from Chandpur-3 lawmaker Sheikh Farid Ahmed, the finance minister said the total number of bank accounts in the country stands at 19 crore 32 lakh 51 thousand 232, according to the latest statistics from Bangladesh Bank.
Of these, 17 crore 79 lakh 50 thousand 465 are savings accounts, representing the largest share of banking accounts held by individuals. The total number of loan accounts in the country's banking sector currently stands at 1 crore 53 lakh 767, he added.
The lawmaker had sought information on the number of people with bank accounts nationwide and whether the government has any plans to bring those without accounts under formal banking services.
In reply, the finance minister said the government has launched a major initiative to formulate the National Financial Inclusion Strategy 2 (NFIS-2), setting a target timeline up to 2031 to ensure financial services reach all citizens.
He noted that the government has already been implementing the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) with the goal of ensuring financial inclusion for all adult citizens. According to the minister, Bangladesh's overall financial inclusion rate currently stands at 64.5%.
The figure includes accounts maintained with banks, financial institutions, mobile financial service (MFS) providers, insurance companies, the capital market and microfinance institutions, as well as other government-approved financial service providers.
The finance minister said the current National Financial Inclusion Strategy is scheduled to expire in June 2026. In preparation for the next phase, the government has considered feedback from stakeholders across the financial sector, along with the evolving needs of citizens.
Replying to a question from Sheikh Farid Ahmed, MP for Chandpur-3, during the question-and-answer session at the parliament today, the finance minister provided the information in a written reply. The question had been tabled in the session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad. Of the total bank accounts, savings accounts number 17,79,50,465, or 17.79 crore, while loan accounts stand at 1,53,76,767, or 1.54 crore.
In response to the query, Khosru said the government has formulated the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) through 2026 with the goal of achieving 100 percent financial inclusion among adult citizens.
At present, the country's financial inclusion rate stands at 64.50 percent.
Answering another question from Sirajganj-5 MP Amirul Islam Khan, the finance minister said 63 banks are currently conducting operations through 11,326 branches and 4,929 sub-branches across the country.
Responding to a separate query from MP Luthfullahel Mazed, Khosru said the National Board of Revenue's revenue collection target for fiscal year 2025-26 is Tk 5.03 lakh crore. Against the target, Tk 3.27 lakh crore had been collected by April.
He said the National Board of Revenue is undertaking various initiatives to increase the number of taxpayers and that the taxpayer base continues to grow. The number of registered taxpayers, including income tax and VAT payers, rose from 1,23,63,565, or 1.24 crore, in fiscal year 2024-25 to 1,38,29,486, or 1.38 crore, in fiscal year 2025-26, according to the finance minister.
To achieve universal financial inclusion, the government has initiated the formulation of NFIS-2, which will be implemented nationwide from June 2026 to July 2031. The new strategy aims to bring every citizen under at least one form of legitimate financial service, thereby expanding access to formal financial systems across the country, he said.
