Under the Comprehensive Rural Finance Study (CRFS), Institute for Inclusive Finance and Development (InM) organised a consultation meeting with selected department of Bangladesh Bank on 9 July 2024 at the Hamidullah Conference Room of Bangladesh Bank. Directors and representatives from 17 corresponding departments of Bangladesh Bank such as: Agriculture Credit Department, Banking Regulation and Policy Department, Chief Economist's Unit, Credit Guarantee Department, Credit Information Bureau, Department of Financial Institutions and Markets, Department of off-site Supervision, Equity and Entrepreneurship Fund Unit, Financial Inclusion Department, Financial Stability Department, Foreign Exchange Policy Department, Monetary Policy Department, NFIS Administrative Unit, Payment Systems Department, Research Department, SME & Special Programmes Department, Sustainable Finance Department were participated in the discussion meeting. As an important component of the study, institution level analysis has been included. The objective is to understand the characteristics of current financial products and services (savings, credit, insurance, mobile financial services, agent banking etc.), their limitations in reaching the target groups as seen by the providers, and their views on how to develop appropriate, user-friendly and sustainable financial services for the excluded and under-served rural population groups and enterprises. To identify policy, regulatory and other relevant issues related to designing and delivery channels of financial services for the excluded/underserved groups in the rural areas, InM organised a series of consultation meetings during March 2024 with relevant financial institutions including IDRA, MRA, BTRC, banks/NBFIs, fintechs, PKSF, MFIs, insurance companies and associations, BPO, SME Foundation, trade bodies and associations, SDF, and other agencies. After getting their feedback, InM consolidate the findings and organised this consultation meeting with relevant departments of BB with the aim of sharing the findings and identifying different options and policies for designing sustainable financial products to the rural people.
Dr. Md. Ezazul Islam, Executive Director (Research) was the Chief Guest of the meeting who presides the meeting. Dr. Farhana Nargis, Research Fellow, InM give an introductory speech while Professor Md. Nehal Ahmed, BIBM, and Core Researcher of the CRFS project uphold the summary of issues raised from the supply side.
