Prosperity for all, poverty for none: Atiur

Bangladesh has defined the financial inclusion initiatives as access to and usage of appropriate, affordable and accessible financial services, former Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman said.

The country has been the Silicon Valley of pro-poor financial innovation, said Rahman, who is also a professor of development studies in Dhaka University.

He spoke while delivering a lecture on “Prosperity for all, poverty for none: A journey towards financial inclusion” at the Professor Shafiqur Rahman Memorial Lecture 2016 at the Asiatic Society of Bangladesh yesterday.

The central bank has been pushing for financial inclusion as it supports social cohesion and empowerment. “Our approach has been focused on a comprehensive framework with all stakeholders' consultation.”

In Bangladesh, the government placed highest emphasis on digitisation which has been adding more fuel to the central bank's drive for financial inclusion, he said.

The setting of the sustainable development goals and the launch of the seventh five-year plan have given a desirable context to the central bank's campaign for financial inclusion, Rahman said.