Dhaka, June 3 -- Access to agricultural credit for marginal and landless farmers is set to improve under a priority mechanism introduced by the Bangladesh Bank's refinancing scheme, with Farmer Smart Card holders receiving preferential consideration to enhance the flow of formal credit to the rural economy.

Under a circular issued by Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Tuesday, lenders have been instructed to open Tk 10 bank accounts for cardholders and prioritise them in credit allocation, in line with the proposed "Farmers Smart Card Policy-2025" of the Department of Agricultural Extension.

At the same time, banks have been directed not to exclude farmers who do not yet possess smart cards.

The banks have been directed to ensure that marginal an...