44 winners receive Mastercard Excellence Awards

Forty-four winners, including several banks and financial institutions, received the MasterCard Excellence Awards 2023 based on their performance and contribution to the financial ecosystem.

The winners of the Mastercard Excellence Awards 2023 were announced during a high-profile ceremony in the national capital. The event also marked the 10th anniversary of Mastercard's Bangladesh office.

Recognizing the theme of "Masters of Evolution" for this edition of the event, the Mastercard Excellence Awards aim to honor top innovators in the banking, payments, and financial services space.

The awards ceremony witnessed an esteemed gathering, including guest of honor Atiur Rahman, Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank and Chairman of Unnayan Shamannay; Helen LaFave, Charge d'affaires at the US Embassy; Md. Sharafat Ullah Khan, Director of Payment Systems Department at Bangladesh Bank; and Md Sarwar Hossain, Director of Foreign Exchange Policy Department at Bangladesh Bank.

Atiur Rahman, Former Governor of Bangladesh Bank, praised MasterCard's efforts to contribute to the rise of inward remittance. He highlighted Bangladesh Bank's digital transformation efforts towards a cashless society, noting a significant decline in cash transactions. He emphasized the importance of addressing the limitations of digital literacy among the people.

In close alignment with the Government of Bangladesh's vision, this year's Mastercard Excellence Awards winners were chosen based on their contributions to paving the way for a digitally empowered economy by introducing innovative financial tools and solutions. A total of 44 winners were awarded in 17 categories during the ceremony.

Among the winners, AB Bank (4 categories), BRAC Bank (5 categories), Standard Chartered Bank (2 categories), LankaBangla Finance (2 categories), Dutch-Bangla Bank (2 categories), The City Bank (2 categories), and Eastern Bank PLC received more than one award.

Syed Mohammad Kamal, Country Manager, Bangladesh, Mastercard, said, "Mastercard has been focused on furthering digital advancement and inclusive growth in the country. The company is thrilled to have so many partner banks, fintechs, and merchants that have extended great support in achieving the vision of a digitally empowered domestic financial services sector. In the fifth edition of these awards, Mastercard is proud to honor these organizations for their remarkable accomplishments."

Being operational in Bangladesh since 1991, Mastercard became the first global payments operator to set up its office in Bangladesh in 2013. In these years, the company has forged many collaborations with various stakeholders to strengthen the country's digital ecosystem by transforming the payments industry through best-in-class products and solutions. The company has also been committed to furthering financial inclusion and has worked with the government, industry, and social organizations to take digital solutions to the communities at the grassroots.

The winning categories are as follows: Excellence in Mastercard Business (Merchant)- POS 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Business (Merchant)- Online 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Digital Business 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Debit Business (Domestic) 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Debit Business (International) 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Credit Business (Domestic) 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Credit Business (International) 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Prepaid Business 2022-23 (Domestic), and Excellence in Mastercard Prepaid Business 2022-23 (International), Excellence in Mastercard Contactless (Issuing) 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Contactless (Acquiring) 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Acquiring (QR) 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard POS Acquiring Business 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Online Acquiring Business 2022-23, Excellence in Financial Inclusion 2022-23, Excellence in Mastercard Business (Innovation) 2022-23, and Excellence in Mastercard Business Growth 2022-23.