BRAC Bank has launched the ‘TakaPay’ card as a part of the National Card Scheme under the initiative of Bangladesh Bank, a press release said on Wednesday.
Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated this National Card Scheme on November 1, 2023. Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder and other senior officials of Bangladesh Bank were also present in the inauguration ceremony held at Ganabhaban in Dhaka.
‘TakaPay’ is the very own planned and designed payment scheme of Bangladesh, which ushered in a historic era in the banking sector. To reduce dependency on international payment schemes and save foreign currency, this card will play a significant role. The ‘TakaPay’ card will take this country a step forward on the way to becoming Smart Bangladesh.
Initially, BRAC Bank PLC, The City Bank Limited and Sonali Bank PLC are launching ‘TakaPay’. However, BRAC Bank will provide issuing and acquiring services right from its launch.
Managing Director & CEO of BRAC Bank Selim R. F. Hussain, Managing Director of Sonali Bank PLC Md. Afzal Karim, Managing Director & CEO of The City Bank Mashrur Arefin and other officials attended the ceremony virtually.
Initially, the card can be used for domestic ATM withdrawals, POS machines and e-commerce transactions. The transaction of the card will be conducted through the National Payment Switch operated by Bangladesh Bank. So transactions on this card will be safe, secure and reliable. It will also be affordable, convenient and easy to use for the consumers.
About the launch of ‘TakaPay’ Card, Managing Director & CEO of BRAC Bank Selim R. F. Hussain said, “We, along with the entire nation, are proud of the launch of ‘TakaPay’ card as this is Bangladesh’s first ever very own national card scheme. This card will make the banking sector more equipped and self-reliant regarding technology. It will save costs of transactions for the customers. We think this is a big milestone for the banking sector of Bangladesh, which will take this sector a step towards Smart Bangladesh.”