Every mobile phone can be a branch of a bank, taking financial services to the country's un-banked low-income people anywhere anytime, speakers said yesterday.

They said both the mobile operators and banks should develop mutual trust to run mobile banking in the country, as the service is performed in partnership between the two service providers.

The comments came at a conference on e-banking and mobile commerce at Hotel Sonargaon in the city.

Yeafesh Osman, state minister for ICT, said globally the mobile-based banking has spread, and the mobile device has converged as a single gadget for financial services.

The government has targeted to bridge the digital gap between the wealthy and the poor, said the minister.

Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank, said: “The central bank is actively encouraging engagement of banks, microfinance institutions and mobile phones and other IT platforms in partnerships to innovate financial service delivery models responding to the diversity of existing and emerging new demands in the fast developing market.”

He said mobile phone operators stand to gain from allowing the new e-payment platforms through unrestricted use of the mobile phone networks, which will give them new income from increased usage of their capacities.

“We would like to see the issue is sorted out promptly for mutual satisfaction of both sides,” he said.

Rahman requested the chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission to take measures to solve dispute, if any, between mobile operators and banking system.

BTRC Chairman Zia Ahmed said the mobile telecom sector is matured enough to introduce m-banking in Bangladesh.

The Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry initiated the conference, which was organised by Total Communications, Pakistan. Shafquat Haider, chairperson of Saarc ICT, and other experts from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan also spoke.

Source: The Daily Star, Bangladesh/16th June 2011