Bangladesh Bank has imposed stringent, time-bound restrictions on all mobile financial services (MFS) transactions nationwide in the run-up to the country’s forthcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. The special regulatory measures, which apply to leading platforms including bKash, Nagad and Rocket, came into force at midnight on Monday, 9 February, and will remain effective until 11:59 p.m. on 12 February—covering a continuous period of 96 hours.
According to the central bank, the decision has been taken as a preventive step to curb illegal money flows during the election period. Authorities are particularly concerned about the risks of vote-buying, unauthorised campaign financing, and the possible use of digital funds for disruptive or subversive activities. While acknowledging that the temporary restrictions may cause inconvenience to the general public, Bangladesh Bank has stressed that safeguarding financial discipline and electoral integrity during this sensitive period is the overriding priority.
The most significant aspect of the directive is the complete suspension of cash-in and cash-out services across all MFS platforms. Throughout the restriction window, customers will not be able to deposit cash into their mobile wallets through agents, nor will they be able to withdraw cash from their accounts. As a result, cash-in and cash-out options have been disabled or visually greyed out in MFS applications. Importantly, this prohibition applies equally to both customers and agents, with no exemptions.
However, limited peer-to-peer transfers have been allowed to address urgent personal needs. Under the revised rules, the “send money” facility remains operational but with strict caps. A customer may transfer a maximum of BDT 1,000 per transaction and may conduct no more than ten such transactions per day, resulting in a daily ceiling of BDT 10,000.
To minimise disruption to essential services and daily life, Bangladesh Bank has kept several key functions fully operational. Mobile phone recharges, utility bill payments for electricity, gas and water, and payments for online or in-store purchases can continue as normal. Payments related to educational institutions, as well as fees for government and other emergency services, have also been exempted from any restrictions.
A summary of the election-period MFS service status is presented below:
| Service Type | Status | Limit/Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cash-in | Suspended | No transactions permitted |
| Cash-out | Suspended | No transactions permitted |
| Send money | Restricted | BDT 1,000 per transaction; max 10 per day |
| Mobile recharge | Active | No additional limits |
| Utility bill payments | Active | Electricity, gas and water as usual |
| Merchant payments | Active | Online and in-store payments unchanged |
| Education & government fees | Active | Payable under existing rules |
Bangladesh Bank has confirmed that all MFS services will return to full operation immediately after the restriction period ends, shortly after midnight on 12 February. In the meantime, major MFS providers, including bKash and Nagad, have issued public apologies for the temporary inconvenience and urged customers to cooperate fully with the government’s election-related directives.