The High Court has issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the arbitrary and excessive service charges imposed on customers by mobile financial services (MFS) providers — bKash, Nagad and Rocket — should not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.
The HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Rezaul Karim issued the rule on Sunday following a writ petition filed by Supreme Court lawyer Obaidullah Al Mamun Sakib.
The court also asked why directives should not be issued to enact a separate law for MFS to ensure reasonable, fair, and affordable service charges, particularly for low-income and unbanked people, while strengthening consumer protection and accountability.
The finance secretary, the secretary of the posts and telecommunications ministry, the governor of Bangladesh Bank, the chairmen of bKash and Nagad, and other officials concerned have been made respondents to the rule. They have been asked to respond within four weeks.
The petitioner himself moved the petition before the High Court.
Advocate Sakib told the media that mobile financial operations are currently governed by the Bangladesh Mobile Financial Services Regulations, 2022.
“While traditional banks charge a flat fee per transaction, MFS platforms such as bKash, Nagad, and Rocket charge on a percentage basis. For instance, transferring Tk100,000 from one bank to another via a banking app typically costs around Tk10. In contrast, transferring the same amount via MFS platforms costs Tk10 per thousand, bringing the total fee to Tk1,000,” he said.
He argued that mobile financial services were introduced primarily to serve the unbanked population and that imposing exorbitant service charges on these vulnerable groups directly contradicts Clauses 2 and 9 of the Bangladesh Mobile Financial Services Regulations, 2022.
