Fintech summit calls for secure, inclusive digital finance

Bangladesh needs secure digital infrastructure, stronger consumer protection and responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) to expand access to financial services, speakers said at the 6th Bangladesh Fintech Summit in Dhaka on Saturday.
The day-long event at Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel brought together banking and fintech professionals, regulators, investors and academics to discuss digital banking, financial inclusion and emerging technologies.
Initiated by Bangladesh Fintech Forum and organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum, the summit was presented by Mastercard, powered by Dhaka Bank PLC and held in association with upay, according to a press release.
Sajid Mahbub, group chief executive officer and executive editor of Bangladesh Brand Forum, said the next phase of fintech development would depend on turning digital adoption into lasting financial capability. 

He stressed that innovation should make financial services more accessible and useful, while closer cooperation among financial institutions, entrepreneurs and policymakers would be essential to build a sustainable digital finance ecosystem.
Keynote speakers Naushad Hussain, chief banking and network officer at TransFi Global, and Khuan Yew Lee, executive director and regional head of product at GXBank, discussed digital banking trends in Southeast and South Asia, including product innovation and customer confidence.
Gazi Yar Mohammed, co-founder and CEO of Kube Money and co-founder of Dana Fintech, led a session on the shift from automation to agentic artificial intelligence and its potential implications for Bangladesh’s banking and fintech sectors.
Other discussions focused on the role of AI and digital banks in reshaping financial services, expanding cashless payments and improving interoperability to bring more people into the formal financial system.
Speakers also examined regulatory sandboxes, AI governance, data protection and consumer safeguards, highlighting the need to balance technological innovation with effective oversight.
The programme included two keynote sessions, three panel discussions, an expert session, an insight session and a case study on issues shaping the country’s digital financial landscape.