Customers of more than 30 banks in the country may face hassles as several technology-based banking services will remain temporarily suspended due to a system upgrade and migration of the Q-Cash network.
Although the duration and nature of the suspension vary from bank to bank, key services such as ATMs, cards, fund transfers, e-commerce and Bangla QR may be disrupted, raising concerns that customers could face difficulties in making urgent transactions.
Banks including NRBC Bank, Bangladesh Krishi Bank, Trust Bank, SBAC Bank, Bank Asia and National Bank have issued notices to customers in this regard.
The notices said some banking services will remain suspended at specific times for technical upgrades and system migration of the Q-Cash network.
According to one bank's notice, ATMs, cash recycling machines (CRMs), credit and prepaid card transactions, and point-of-sale (POS) services under Q-Cash will remain suspended from 9:00 pm on October 4 until 12:00 noon on October 10. However, some alternative services, including debit cards, will remain operational.
In its notice, NRBC Bank said ATMs and CRMs, debit and credit card transactions, fund transfers and Bangla QR services will remain temporarily suspended during the same period.
For customers' convenience, however, fund transfer to bKash, Nagad and Upay will remain available through the NRBC Planet app. The bank expressed regret for the temporary inconvenience.
According to the banks' notices, alternative transaction options will be available in some cases, but not all banks will offer the same facilities. Customers have therefore been advised to check their respective banks' notices to know which services will be affected.
According to the Q-Cash website, 37 banks currently receive services through the network. As a large number of banks will have their technology-based services limited at the same time, customers could be affected, particularly those needing to withdraw cash from ATMs, make card purchases or transfer funds urgently without any alternative arrangement.
Bangladesh Bank spokesperson and Executive Director Arif Hossain Khan said the system migration of the Q-Cash network is underway to ensure safe and modern banking services.
As a result, some services of the banks under the network will remain temporarily suspended. He said Bangladesh Bank was not informed in advance about the matter.
However, the banks have been advised to notify customers beforehand through notices so that they can make alternative arrangements as needed and minimise their sufferings.