Revealing into its 2nd edition, Mastercard Presents 2nd Bangladesh Fintech Award Powered by bKash Limited & in Association with Mutual Trust Bank Limited, upay, BASIS & The Daily Star honored 28 fintech innovations across 11 categories through a grand gala ceremony at Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden on 26 August 2023 Saturday. Among the awardees, 14 innovations were awarded winners, and 14 innovations were given Honorable Mentions. Initiated by Bangladesh Fintech Forum, the 2nd edition of the accolade was organized by Bangladesh Brand Forum.
The award gala was graced by Mr. Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, Honorable State Minister, ICT Division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh as Chief guest. In his speech, the Chief Guest, Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP, said, “Bangladesh has been able to set some good examples regarding our progress towards building a more inclusive economy through fintech. As we have marched forward to create a Smart Bangladesh by 2041, fintech lies at the core of this vision. We must continue our efforts to spread the advantages of fintech to rural areas to ensure a Smart Economy all over Bangladesh and I believe this accolade will inspire our industry leaders to align more comprehensively with the shared goal of Bangladesh.”
This accolade aims to recognize the excellent initiatives and innovations that have taken place in the Bangladeshi fintech sector and inspire the industry to contribute to shaping Bangladesh’s Fintech Ecosystem for the Future. The event garnered enthusiastic responses and appreciation from the banking and finance sector. With over 500 people in attendance, the award ceremony showcased the innovative fintech solutions of different financial institutions.
The awards were presented in 11 distinct categories. The nomination registration for the awards took place from July 4 to August 3, 2023. A total of 123 nominations were submitted for the award. The winners were selected through a rigorous multiple-step jury process which included an initial screening of nominations, followed by in-depth reviews by 5 exclusive grand jury panels of experts from August 21 to 23. The jury sessions comprised 20 respected category experts across the banking and finance industry to bring out the best initiatives to recognise and keep the process transparent, accountable, and bias-free. The jury session included significant experts like Anis A. Khan, Chairman, AAZ & Partners; Gazi Yar Mohammed, Co-founder and CEO, Dana Fintech; Gitanka D. Datta, Deputy Managing Director & Chief Business Officer (SME & Retail), IFIC Bank Plc; Rahel Ahmed, Founder, Ogreem; Firoz Ahmed Khan, Director of Finance, Telenor Health; Hussain A Samad, Senior Researcher & Policy Analyst, iDEA Foundation; Consultant at the World Bank; Rezaul Hossain, Managing Director & CEO, Celero Limited; Sabbir Ahmed, Head of Consumer, Private and Business Banking, Standard Chartered Bangladesh; Nurun Nahar Begum, Chief Technology Officer, BRAC Bank Limited; Syed Moinuddin Ahmed, Additional Managing Director And Company Secretary, Green Delta Insurance Company Limited; K A M Majedur Rahman, Group CEO, A.K. Khan & Company Ltd.; Fahim Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer, Pathao Ltd.; Noor Elahi, Managing Director, Wagely; Syed Adnan Huda, CFA Chief Operating Officer, UCB Stock Brokerage Limited.
Shariful Islam, Founder, Bangladesh Fintech Forum and Founder and Managing Director, Bangladesh Brand Forum began the gala night by stating, “Fintech has a lot of scope and huge potential in Bangladesh. We strive to reach that full potential and serve the nation with optimum facilities. This accolade is a testament to all our attempts to take our fintech initiatives and innovations to the next level.”
Earlier, before the award ceremony, Bangladesh Fintech Forum hosted the Mastercard Presents 4th Bangladesh Fintech Summit Powered by bKash Limited & in Association with Mutual Trust Bank Limited, upay, BASIS & The Daily Star.
the day-long summit brought together industry professionals, decision-makers, and thought leaders from the banking and finance sector at home and abroad to discuss and share insights on the profoundly emerging fintech industry in Bangladesh. This year, the Summit is designed around the core vision of “Shaping Bangladesh Fintech Ecosystem for the Future,” with the aim to explore the transformative potential of financial technology in Bangladesh and lay the groundwork for a robust and innovative fintech ecosystem.
The summit featured an engaging agenda comprising 04 Keynote Sessions, 03 Panel Discussions, 04 Insight Sessions, 01 Case Study, 01 Fireside Chat and 01 Igniting conversation. The distinguished discussions together have raised significant talking points and policy suggestions while shaping a framework for the fintech stakeholders of the country.
The discussions revolved around multifaceted and timely topics like Redefining Banking in the Digital Age, Emerging Trends and Predictions of Fintech for Paving the Path for Fintech Innovation and Growth in Bangladesh, The Role of Blockchain in Fintech, How Smart Bangladesh approach can drive Inclusive Growth for Bangladesh and others.
The keynote speakers of the summit were: Arfan Ali, Chairperson, Zaytoon Business Consultants; Chairman, Onkur Digital Limited; Benjamin Quinlan, CEO & Managing Partner, Quinlan & Associates, Chair – Innovation & Technology Committee, AustCham Hong Kong; Mamun Rashid, Country Clients and Markets Lead, PwC Bangladesh; and Hrushikesh Mehta, Senior Vice President – Financial Services, Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).