The Payment Systems Department of Bangladesh Bank, the central bank of the country, has announced that customers will have to pay BDT10 ($0.12) every time they use other bank’s ATM to withdraw cash.
Additionally, the card-issuing banks, which are connected to Bangladesh Bank’s National Payment Switch of Bangladesh (NPSB), will pay BDT10 ($0.12) to the bank that operates the ATM.
Effective from 1 April 2014, the new rules also state that customers will have to pay BDT5 ($0.064) to check their balance or collect mini statements from ATMs owned by other banks.
Bangladesh Bank’s Payment Systems Department officials were quoted by bdnews24 as saying that many banks were issuing ATM cards to a large number of their clients without having a proportionate number of booths and opening and operating ATM booths and ensuring their security entailed significant costs for the banks.
"These costs increase even further if the banks try to provide the services to customers of other banks," officials added.
"Therefore it is essential that a minimum charge be imposed on the withdrawal of cash using booths of other banks. The charge will motivate banks participating in the NPSB to expand their network of ATM booths."
Currently, seven commercial banks are linked with the NPSB: Dutch Bangla Bank, Brac Bank, Pubali Bank, Prime Bank, South East Bank, Islami Bank and Al-Arafah Islami Bank, which collectively operate 5,000 ATMs across the country.
Currently, there are about 5,000 ATM booths connected to the NPSB across Bangladesh, of which Dutch Bangla Bank alone operates 2,500.
