BRAC Bank introduces omnichannel banking for easier customer access

 
BRAC Bank has introduced an omnichannel banking model that allows customers to initiate banking services at any time and continue or complete transactions through different service channels without repeating information or procedures.

Under the new system, customers can initiate a service request through branches, sub-branches, the call centre or digital platforms and seamlessly continue the process through another channel.

For example, a customer wishing to apply for a credit card can call the bank's hotline 16221 even after regular banking hours. If the application cannot be completed during the initial call, a designated bank official will contact the customer the following morning and follow up on the request until the service is delivered, subject to eligibility.

The new model was formally launched at a press conference at Hotel Sonargaon in Dhaka on Sunday. BRAC Bank claims it is the first relationship-based omnichannel banking model of its kind in Bangladesh.

BRAC Bank Chairperson Meheriar M Hasan, Managing Director TareqRefatUllah Khan, Additional Managing Director and Head of SME Banking Syed Abdul Momen, and Deputy Managing Directors MdMahizul Islam and Sheikh Mohammad Ashfaque attended the event.

Speaking at the programme, Meheriar M Hasan said the initiative would eliminate the need for customers to repeatedly visit branches, submit applications through digital platforms or contact the call centre to obtain a particular service.

Customers would no longer have to provide the same information repeatedly, as all relevant departments would have access to their previous interactions and service requests, he said.

He noted that around 72 per cent of the country's adult population remained outside the formal banking system, stressing the need to bring more people under banking services to ensure sustainable economic development.

Under the new model, BRAC Bank will analyse customers' financial transactions and individual requirements to offer appropriate services.

Managing Director Tareq Refat Ullah Khan said the bank was not solely focused on financial gains but also aimed to contribute to social change. "We have contributed to improving the living standards of nearly 250,000 people," he said.