Picture of the Socio-Economic Development of Rural People of Bangladesh through Mobile Financial Services - a study on bkash

Abstract

Mobile Banking is a remarkable tool of financial inclusions that has been applied to connect (combines) the unbanked and underprivileged people into formal financial channel. At present, Bangladesh adores the incredible success in mobile banking particularly in rural areas (where bank branch facility is not available) of which bKash holds the leading position. This study is based on the assumption of socio-economic development of rural people of Bangladesh through bKash. Type of the research is exploratory in nature and followed by a conclusive method. The findings revealed that bKash has generated the various positive socio-economic impact like create employment opportunities, encourage savings, easy to received foreign remittance, women financial empowerment, role to developing the SMEs & agricultural sector, increase the financial productivity of seasonal workers & businessmen, break-down the power of middlemen & easy to business transaction, increase the money mobilization, save non-monetary cost. Finally this impact uplifting the living standard of rural people and contribute to reduce vicious cycle of poverty in rural area of Bangladesh.

Key words: Mobile Banking, Financial inclusion, Rural area, Socio-economic development, bKash.