Prime Minister Tareque Rahman urges Visa to establish global service center in Bangladesh to boost employment and digital economy

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has urged global fintech giant Visa to establish a technology development or global service center in Bangladesh to boost local employment. The request was made during a courtesy call at the Cabinet Division in the Secretariat on Tuesday.

Stephen Karpin, Visa’s President for the Asia-Pacific region, met with the Prime Minister to discuss the firm’s plans to expand its investment and business operations in Bangladesh. According to Deputy Press Secretary Shahadath Swadhin, the meeting focused on leveraging international expertise to enhance the nation’s digital economy, technological capacity, and infrastructure.

Prime Minister Rahman welcomed private sector participation in expanding digital financial services. He emphasized that collaborations with established international firms are essential to strengthening Bangladesh’s broader economic framework.

Karpin highlighted the significant potential for innovation within Bangladesh’s financial sector. He expressed Visa’s interest in providing technological support to integrate unbanked populations into the formal financial system and expand the scope of digital transactions. Furthermore, Karpin proposed utilizing artificial intelligence to enhance the security, speed, and efficiency of the country’s banking and payment systems.

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Discussions also covered the potential to integrate Visa card services into public utility systems, including the metro rail, toll plazas, and expressways, to streamline everyday transactions. The meeting also addressed the development of robust digital payment mechanisms to facilitate the secure and efficient repatriation of foreign earnings for Bangladeshi freelancers.

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister’s Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Science and Technology, Rehan Asif Asad; Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Executive Chairman Ashik Chowdhury; Bangladesh Bank Governor Md. Mostakur Rahman; and other senior Visa officials.