Prime Bank launches JCB cards in Bangladesh

From left, Azam J Chowdhury, chairman of Prime Bank, Atiur Rahman, governor of Bangladesh Bank, Shiro Sadoshima, ambassador of Japan, Ehsan Khasru, managing director of Prime Bank and Kimihisa Imada, deputy president of JCB International, pose with a JCB card at its launch at Radisson Hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday. Photo: Prime Bank

Prime Bank on Tuesday launched cards of JCB International in Bangladesh in an effort to provide customers with a wide range of payment services.
The world's fourth largest payment brand, the Japan-based JCB cards are now issued from 17 countries, said Kimihisa Imada, deputy president of JCB International.
Prime Bank is the first firm in Bangladesh and in South Asia to issue JCB cards, Imada said.
He spoke at a programme at Radisson Blu Hotel in Dhaka, when Bangladesh Bank Governor Atiur Rahman launched the debit and credit cards as the chief guest.
The Bangladesh market possesses a huge growth potential and a favourable business environment for Japanese brands, he said.
JCB has over 24 million merchants and over a million cash advance locations in 190 countries and territories and has more than 82 million card members worldwide, Imada said.
JCB has formed alliances with more than 350 leading banks and financial institutions globally to increase merchant coverage and card member base, he said.
"I strongly believe the business partnership with Prime Bank will be a crucial milestone for JCB in the Asian business expansion; and I have strong confidence in JCB's business in Bangladesh.”
The launch of JCB cards in Bangladesh by Prime Bank will surely strengthen the economic relationship between the two countries, the central bank governor said.
Japan is the largest development partner of Bangladesh, he said. The continuous technical support of Japan is helping Bangladesh immensely towards its digitalisation, Rahman said.
With the JCB cards, Prime Bank is enabling its customers to get better plastic money services across the globe, said Azam J Chowdhury, chairman of the bank.
“This is a very strong payment system in Asia. The card is globally respected and accepted. JCB cards are very flexible in terms of limit,” he said.
"I am sure the cards will attain significant business success in the days to come."
Chowdhury urged the government to channel the $5.9 billion fund pledged by the Japanese government through his bank.
"Japan will always work as a friend of Bangladesh. The pledge is further reinforced by the launch of JCB International cards,” said Shiro Sadoshima, Japanese ambassador in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh needs to diversify its export basket to tap the potential of the emerging global market, Sadoshima said.
Ehsan Khasru, managing director of Prime Bank, and AH Majumder, head of cards, also spoke.