Mastercard, Mutual Trust Bank and Banglalink jointly launched a prepaid card—Easy Payment Card—as part of an effort to provide the unbanked people with banking services.

MA Mannan, state minister for finance and planning, launched the card at a programme at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka on Wednesday.

The holders of the card will get exclusive benefits, including privileges at over 1,700 merchant outlets nationwide, vouchers worth Tk 1,500 and discounts at three of the country's top e-commerce sites and free internet data.

“Furthermore, cardholders can enjoy the security and convenience that comes with Mastercard and MTB's extensive network of POS and ATM acceptance locations across the country,” Mastercard said in a statement.

Eligible Banglalink customers can register for this card free of cost at any MTB branch across the country, according to the statement.

Shahjahan Mahmood, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission; Anis A Khan, CEO of Mutual Trust Bank; Erik Aas, Banglalink CEO, and Syed Mohammad Kamal, country manager of Mastercard Bangladesh, were also present among others.

“Banglalink thrives to become a digital leader with the ambition to create value beyond connectivity and equipping customers to pay digitally will give them a true financial freedom, save their time and will ultimately uplift their life standards,” Erik Aas said at the event.