Palmpay Bangladesh has received approval from Bangladesh Bank to run a one-year pilot programme financing the purchase of 10,000 smartphones, marking the first time such a supervised regulatory framework has been granted for this model in the country.
The fintech, which began operations in Bangladesh in 2024 through partnerships with mobile operators and financial institutions, said the approval will allow it to expand access to devices under a structured, regulator-backed model aimed at promoting financial inclusion for low-income and first-time smartphone users.
Bangladesh Bank noted that the pilot is designed to improve affordable access to smartphones as mobile and internet penetration continues to grow, with 187 million mobile subscribers and around 131 million internet users as of late 2025.
