Dhaka, May 16 -- Bangladesh's agent banking sector continued to post strong growth in deposits and loan balances by March 2026 despite decline in the number of agents, outlets and transaction volumes, indicating sustained public confidence in branchless banking services, particularly in rural areas.

According to the latest data from Bangladesh Bank (BB), total deposit balances in the sector increased by 18.6 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Tk 505.63 billion in March 2026 from Tk 426.33 billion a year earlier.

Rural deposits recorded stronger growth, rising 20.9 per cent to Tk 416.95 billion, while urban deposits grew 8.7 per cent to Tk 88.67 billion during the period.

On a quarterly basis, overall deposit balances increased by 2.4 per c...