Bangladesh Bank Reversal Policy (2026 Update): What Consumers Need to Know

As a consumer, you are protected by the Bangladesh Bank (Payment Systems Department) Circular. In 2026, the central bank mandated that all MFS providers must:

Maintain a Quick Response Cell for transaction disputes.

Provide a formal status update or resolution within a specific window (usually immediate via Binimoy or up to 72 hours for complex inter-bank transfers).

Ensure Safeguarding of customer funds, meaning your money is legally protected even if the service provider faces technical or financial issues.

1. Key Policy Details: 2026 Update

The latest directives from Bangladesh Bank emphasize automation and rapid resolution for unsettled or incorrect transactions.

Mandatory STP for Remittances: Authorized Dealers (ADs) must now use Straight-Through Processing (STP) to credit inward payments on the same business day, reducing the window for “pending” errors.

Traceability Requirement: All inward transfers must maintain a Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference (UETR) to ensure funds can be traced and reversed if they do not reach the intended beneficiary.

Quick Response Cells: MFS providers like bKash and Nagad are required to establish dedicated Quick Response Cells to handle consumer complaints, including those regarding incorrect or pending transactions.

Intraday Reconciliation: Banks must now perform account reconciliations at intervals not exceeding 60 minutes to identify and rectify transaction discrepancies faster than the previous end-of-day standard.

Election-Period Buffers: During specific high-risk periods, such as the 2026 National Parliamentary Elections, the central bank implemented temporary transaction caps (e.g., Tk 1,000 per P2P transfer) to prevent misuse and facilitate easier monitoring of suspicious activity.