BB boss insists on cashless economy to skip Tk 20,000cr yearly minting bill

Bangladesh Bank Governor Ahsan H Mansur has called for a significant push towards cashless transactions, warning that the country spends a staggering Tk 20,000 crore annually on printing and managing physical currency due to rising cash demand. Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting chaired by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus in Tejgaon on Wednesday, Mansur stressed that expanding digital payments would not only reduce this financial burden but also boost government revenue through greater transaction transparency and formalisation of the economy. “The cost of printing and circulating cash is enormous,” the Governor said. “If we accelerate the adoption of cashless systems—such as mobile financial services, cards, and digital wallets—we can significantly cut these expenses and improve fiscal efficiency.” Chief Adviser’s...