DHAKA, Sept 10, 2026 (BSS) - Bangladesh Bank (BB) has received two prestigious awards from the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) in recognition of the country's progress in financial inclusion and gender-inclusive finance.

The central bank received the 'AFI Maya Declaration Commitment Award 2026' and the 'AFI Gender Inclusive Finance Champion Institution' award at the AFI Global Policy Forum (GPF), held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on September 3, said a press release here today.

BB Deputy Governor Dr Md Habibur Rahman received the two awards on behalf of the central bank.

The Maya Declaration Commitment Award recognises Bangladesh Bank's progress in implementing its commitments under the AFI Maya Declaration.

 Under the initiative, Bangladesh Bank's relevant departments, along with the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit and the Microcredit Regulatory Authority, set annual targets for financial inclusion and work towards achieving them.

The award recognises Bangladesh Bank's significant achievements in fulfilling those commitments. The central bank also received the same award from AFI in 2025.

Bangladesh Bank was also recognised as an 'AFI Gender Inclusive Finance Champion Institution' for its institutional commitment and innovative initiatives aimed at advancing women's financial inclusion under the Gender Inclusive Finance framework and AFI's Denarau Action Plan.

The recognition reflects Bangladesh Bank's efforts to expand access to financial services for women and promote greater participation of women in the formal financial system.

AFI is an international network of policymakers and regulatory institutions working to advance financial inclusion globally. 

It currently has 89 member institutions from 82 countries, comprising central banks, finance ministries and other financial-sector regulators.

The annual AFI Global Policy Forum brings together policymakers and senior representatives from member institutions to exchange experiences and discuss policies and initiatives aimed at advancing financial inclusion.

More than 700 representatives, including central bank governors and deputy governors, policymakers and financial inclusion experts from different countries, participated in this year's forum.