Q-Cash system migration disrupts services at around 30 banks in Bangladesh
DHAKA: ATM card, point-of-sale (POS) and some interbank transaction services at around 30 banks in Bangladesh have been temporarily disrupted due to a system migration by the Q-Cash network.
The affected services are expected to return to normal after noon on Oct. 10, according to notices issued by several banks. The extent of the disruption varies depending on each bank’s technical arrangements.
Agrani Bank, Trust Bank, Bank Asia, National Bank and Rupali Bank are among the banks that have notified customers about temporary service disruptions. The notices mention disruptions to ATM, card, POS, NPSB, e-commerce, QR and Q-Pay services.
Banks said the migration is part of system upgrades and maintenance aimed at improving technological capacity and security.
However, Bangladesh Bank was not informed in advance about the service disruptions, said Arif Hossain Khan, the central bank’s spokesperson and executive director.
He said the Q-Cash system migration is being carried out to ensure safer and more modern banking services. The decision by around 30 ITC-listed banks to suspend some services was taken by the banks themselves, without prior notification to Bangladesh Bank, he said.
Khan also said the banks had not issued prior notices to Bangladesh Bank about the service disruptions. The sudden suspension of some services has caused frustration among customers, he added.
The banks said the affected services would resume once the migration and maintenance work is completed. Customers have been advised to use alternative banking channels for urgent transactions during the disruption.
