The Daily Star (TDS): Could you provide an overview of the current savings situation at your bank?

Mohammad Ali (MA): At Pubali Bank, the growth of normal deposits in 2024 has exceeded BDT 14,000 crore, maintaining a strong growth rate of over 20% in terms of deposits. By comparison, the national deposit growth currently stands at around 10 to 12%, making our performance particularly notable.

This impressive growth includes a significant rise in Fixed Deposit Receipts (FDRs), alongside an increase in low-cost deposits. On the technological front, we have observed substantial progress across our alternate delivery channels, such as card business and debit cards. Particularly within merchant services, we have seen phenomenal growth, with merchant deposits reaching nearly BDT 1,000 crore.

Deposits associated with debit cards stand at around BDT 9,000 to 10,000 crore, while deposits through eKYC accounts are between BDT 400 and 500 crore. Branch-assisted KYC accounts have generated over BDT 2,000 to 3,000 crore. Our Senior Citizen Programme and newly launched Pubali Pension Scheme have also contributed significantly to deposit growth.

TDS: What are the top savings schemes that you are currently offering?

MA: Among the top savings schemes, FDRs account for about 40% of total deposits, while savings, current, and SND accounts comprise 30–40%. High-cost deposits, including recurring deposits, the Pubali Pension Scheme, Senior Citizen Programme, and Swadhin Sanchay Swapno, make up the remaining 20% of Pubali Bank's deposit portfolio.

TDS: What initiatives have your bank taken to encourage savings habits among the general people?

MA: There has been considerable innovation in savings. At the retail level, we introduced an automated payroll system for garment workers, resulting in a diverse range of savings. Corporate transactions have also been automated, enabling companies to transact directly from their premises and contributing to deposit growth. Agent banking has brought in substantial retail deposits. In 2024, we launched merchant acquiring, attracting nearly BDT 1,000 crore in deposits. Through technological platforms like batch transactions, BFTN, RTGS, and e-GP, we have extended services to the grassroots, driving automatic deposit growth.

TDS: What innovative steps have been implemented to make savings products more convenient and accessible for all kinds of customers?

MA: We are observing a strong presence of large corporates with our bank. Our vast branch network supports their supply chain, sales, and marketing operations, including the management of dealers and distributors across the country, giving us a competitive advantage. Our strong online network has also simplified transactions among distributors, dealers, and suppliers, particularly for industries and MNCs.

TDS: What are your future plans regarding the enhancement and expansion of savings products?

MA: Technological innovation is now our major area of focus, and we are placing special emphasis on the incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across all operations—whether it is in the prevention of money laundering, deposit management, customer decision-making, or the development of loan and advance products. This is truly the age of Artificial Intelligence, and we are committed to leading in this transformation. For each product—be it related to financing, deposits, or security—we are working to integrate AI solutions. We are deploying world-leading AI tools in our data centres for disaster recovery, network management, and enhancing customer convenience through chatbots and robotic communications. We must also train our officials in AI tools and ensure their active implementation to deliver lifelong value to our customers.