Dhaka, March 29 -- Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Sunday issued a comprehensive 'Cybersecurity Framework' to safeguard the financial sector against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

The new guidelines are mandatory for all scheduled banks, finance companies, Mobile Financial Service (MFS) providers, Payment Service Providers (PSP), and Payment System Operators (PSO) operating in the country.

According to a circular issued by the Banking Regulation and Policy Department (BRPD), all relevant financial entities must ensure full compliance with the new framework by December 31, 2026.

The central bank stated that the rapid expansion of digital platforms, online transactions, and cloud-based services has significantly increased the "attack ...