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Bangladesh Bank is fast-tracking its comprehensive AI policy for the banking sector, aiming to enhance data protection, risk management, and operational efficiency amid industry-wide adoption challenges and regulatory developments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Experts and senior officials met at the Bangladesh Bank Training Academy in Mirpur on Monday for a seminar titled “Artificial Intelligence: Reshaping Financial Services and Its Regulation,” where speakers stressed that rapid AI adoption in banking demands a clear, robust regulatory framework to protect consumers and contain risk. [1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Bangladesh Bank signalled it is moving quickly: the central bank has formed a seven\u2011member professional AI team and, according to Bangladesh Bank announcements reported in November, aims to roll out a comprehensive AI policy for the banking sector by December that will prioritise data protection, consumer rights and risk management. The plan reportedly includes developing an in\u2011house large language model to reduce data transfer risks and to support economic forecasting, fraud detection and risk controls. [1]<\/a><\/sup>[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Industry participants at the seminar outlined practical roadmaps and early use cases. Pubali Bank\u2019s managing director presented a structured AI strategy tailored to financial services while BBTA speakers reviewed operational adoption. Executives called for pilots to be scaled into enterprise programmes and for stronger ties between regulators, technology users and researchers to ensure usable, enforceable policy. Prof. Dr. B. M. Mainul Hossain of Dhaka University said a “meaningful and structured bond” between regulators, technology users, and researchers is essential for effective policy implementation; other speakers urged that AI be treated as a long\u2011term strategic capability rather than a series of isolated pilots. [1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n The discussion came amid signs that practical uptake remains uneven. A Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management survey found the majority of banks have yet to adopt AI for cybersecurity or disaster recovery planning and that only about one\u2011third have formal AI adoption policies. Academic research similarly indicates modest penetration of compliance AI tools, with roughly a quarter to a third of professionals reporting adoption or partial adoption for regulatory reporting and compliance tasks. Those findings underline gaps in organisational readiness, skilled personnel and governance that the new central bank initiative seeks to address. [5]<\/a><\/sup>[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Regulators elsewhere offer models and cautionary examples. European frameworks such as the EU\u2019s AI Act, which categorises systems by risk and sets requirements for developers and deployers, illustrate one approach to harmonising safety and accountability across financial services. Domestically, regulators have already used AI in targeted supervision: Bangladesh Bank instructed banks in May to step up surveillance of online\u2011gambling transactions using AI tools, dovetailing with the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025, which bans online gambling. Separately, private banks have begun deploying AI in compliance: NRBC Bank used AI technology in a hybrid AML\/CFT conference to strengthen institutional capacity. Together these moves show both regulatory direction and experimental deployments that the central bank\u2019s policy will need to reconcile. [7]<\/a><\/sup>[2]<\/a><\/sup>[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n Speakers at the BBTA seminar emphasised that successful AI integration will depend on better data, trained human resources, stronger cybersecurity and systems that can be explained to both supervisors and customers. Md. Hanif Mia, Executive Director of BBTA, presided over the seminar and warned that without proper oversight AI risks amplifying harms as well as efficiencies; he urged banks to move beyond pilots to build durable capabilities founded on accurate data, skilled staff, robust cybersecurity and explainable systems. [1]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n If implemented as described, Bangladesh Bank\u2019s policy could narrow current capability gaps and set sectoral standards for ethical, safe AI use. Observers say that delivering on that promise will require sustained engagement from banks, technology providers, researchers and government agencies to translate high\u2011level commitments into enforceable controls and measurable outcomes. [3]<\/a><\/sup>[1]<\/a><\/sup>[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n ##Reference Map:<\/p>\n\ud83d\udccc Reference Map:<\/h3>\n
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