(Saturday, October 10, 2026; Dhaka, Bangladesh); The Mastercard Presents 4th Bangladesh Fintech Award 2026 Powered by Dhaka Bank PLC & in Association with Upay honoured 21 fintech innovations and solutions across 13 categories at a gala ceremony held at the Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka, on October 10. Of the recognised entries, 13 received Winner accolades and 8 earned Honourable Mentions, highlighting the efforts shaping Bangladesh’s evolving financial technology sector.
Initiated by Bangladesh Fintech Forum and organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum, the award recognises initiatives that improve financial services through innovation, expand access, and contribute to the country’s digital financial transformation.
This year’s award initiative received 207 submissions, which underwent a multi-stage assessment process involving 4 highly experienced Grand Jury panels. The evaluation examined the submitted initiatives through structured reviews, bringing industry expertise into the selection of the Winners and Honourable Mentions.
Delivering the welcome remarks, Shariful Islam, Founder & Managing Director, Bangladesh Brand Forum; Founder, Bangladesh Innovation Conclave, said, “The value of fintech innovation lies in the difference it makes to people and businesses. These recognitions celebrate the teams working to make financial services more accessible, reliable, and useful. We hope their achievements will encourage further investment in ideas that address real needs and strengthen Bangladesh’s financial future.”
Earlier in the day, the 6th Bangladesh Fintech Summit set the stage for the evening’s award gala.
Held at the same venue, the day-long summit convened banking and fintech leaders, C-Suite executives, investors, regulators, technology experts, startup founders, and academicians from across the country and beyond. Discussions focused on how Bangladesh can move from growing digital adoption towards dependable financial infrastructure, wider financial inclusion, and stronger customer trust.
The summit featured 2 Keynote Sessions, 3 Panel Discussions, 1 Expert Deep Dive, 1 Insight Session, and 1 Case Study.
Keynote sessions were led by Naushad Hussain, Chief Banking & Network Officer, TransFi Global; Former Group Chief Strategy Officer, Lightnet Group; Former Member of the Board of Directors, Inception Technology Co. Ltd.; Former Managing Director & Head of Global Retail Payments, CIMB Group; Khuan Yew Lee, Executive Director, Regional Head of Product, GXBank, GXS Bank & Grab; Former Senior Product Leader, Global Payments for Alibaba, Ant Group, who explored regional banking convergence and the experience of building a digital bank that earns customer trust. Other discussions examined AI and digital banking, cashless transactions, interoperability, secure financial infrastructure, and the regulatory priorities needed to support responsible innovation.
Bangladesh Fintech Forum initiated the Mastercard Presents 6th Bangladesh Fintech Summit and 4th Bangladesh Fintech Award 2026 Powered by Dhaka Bank PLC & in Association with Upay. The initiative was organised by Bangladesh Brand Forum. Supported by: Brain Station 23; Innovation Partner: Bangladesh Innovation Conclave; Official Carrier Partner: Turkish Airlines; Hospitality Partner: Radisson Blu Water Garden Hotel, Dhaka; PR Partner: Backpage PR.
