Customers of 19 banks in Bangladesh are facing temporary disruptions to card, ATM, point-of-sale (POS), e-commerce and other digital banking services as banks carry out system upgrades and migration work involving the Q-Cash network.
According to separate notices issued by the affected banks, the migration process began at 9pm on 4 October and is scheduled to continue until noon on 10 October. However, the duration and extent of service interruptions vary from one bank to another, depending on the nature of the technical work being undertaken.
The affected institutions include Bank Asia, Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Janata Bank, Bengal Commercial Bank, Community Bank, Jamuna Bank, Midland Bank, Meghna Bank, Mercantile Bank, Modhumoti Bank, National Bank, NRBC Bank, NCC Bank, Rupali Bank, Shahjalal Islami Bank, Shimanto Bank, Social Islami Bank, Trust Bank and Uttara Bank.
During the migration and maintenance period, customers may experience difficulties withdrawing cash from ATMs, making purchases with bank cards, completing POS transactions and paying for goods or services through e-commerce platforms. Some digital payment facilities, including QR-based transactions, may also be affected.
Interbank transactions conducted through the National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB) could also face interruptions for customers of the affected banks. This has created additional inconvenience for people who depend on electronic payments and card-based services for routine purchases and urgent financial transactions.
For many customers, the disruption is particularly significant because ATM access and digital payments have become an integral part of everyday banking. A temporary inability to withdraw cash or make an online payment can cause difficulties when alternative arrangements have not been made in advance.
The banks have attributed the disruption to the migration of the Q-Cash network and related technical maintenance. Banks routinely upgrade their technological infrastructure to maintain and improve their banking systems. Such work can require certain services to be temporarily suspended so that technical changes can be carried out.
The fact that 19 banks are experiencing service disruptions during a similar period, however, has increased the scale of the inconvenience for customers.
Arif Hossain Khan, executive director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, said banks regularly undertake technical maintenance and system upgrades according to their individual requirements. He said the upgrade activities of the 19 banks happened to coincide this time.
Officials of the central bank have discussed the situation with the relevant banks. Steps have also been taken to ensure that customers receive advance information and SMS alerts regarding possible service interruptions, allowing them to make alternative arrangements where necessary.
The banks have said that affected services will be restored gradually once the migration and maintenance work is completed. They have also expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience caused to customers.
Access to over-the-counter services at bank branches may, however, vary between institutions. Customers requiring urgent banking facilities have therefore been advised to check the latest notices issued by their respective banks before attempting transactions.
The incident has also drawn attention to the importance of advance communication when major technical maintenance affects customer-facing banking services. As dependence on ATMs, cards, digital payments and interbank transfers continues to grow, even a temporary disruption across multiple institutions can have a noticeable impact on everyday financial activity.
Providing customers with timely information, clear service schedules and practical alternatives can help reduce such inconvenience during planned technological upgrades. For now, customers of the affected banks will have to rely on the latest instructions from their respective institutions until the migration work is completed and services return to normal.