The government has made the use of the A-Challan digital payment system compulsory for collecting all public revenue and government receipts from 1 July, marking a major step in Bangladesh’s efforts to modernise public financial management.
Under the new policy, all ministries, divisions, departments and subordinate offices must collect and deposit government revenue exclusively through A-Challan from the start of the 2026-27 financial year. Existing collection methods operating outside the platform will no longer be permitted.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the government said any public funds still held in commercial bank accounts must be transferred to the Treasury Single Account through A-Challan by 30 June 2026.
The move is intended to ensure that every government receipt reaches the Treasury Single Account in real time, replacing the traditional manual challan process and giving the government a clearer picture of its daily cash position.
The decision follows a sharp rise in the use of the digital platform over the past year.
According to official figures, A-Challan collected Tk 4,07,225.94 crore during the 2025-26 financial year, compared with Tk 2,65,708 crore in the previous year, representing an increase of almost 50%.
Transaction volumes also rose significantly. The platform processed 6.75 crore challans in FY2025-26, up from 3.93 crore a year earlier, an increase of more than 71%.
Since its introduction in FY2019-20, when only 17 challans were processed, the system has expanded rapidly. Over the past seven financial years, it has handled more than 19.03 crore challans and facilitated government receipts exceeding Tk 10.63 lakh crore.
The latest figures show growth across both online and over-the-counter transactions. Online challans increased by 92% to 5.36 crore, while online collections climbed by more than 54% to Tk 11,298.12 crore.
Over-the-counter collections also increased, reaching Tk 3,86,397.55 crore during the financial year.
Officials believe the nationwide implementation of A-Challan will improve government cash management by allowing authorities to monitor revenue in real time, reduce idle public funds held in scattered bank accounts and strengthen treasury oversight.
The previous manual system required many people to visit designated branches of selected banks, mainly Bangladesh Bank or Sonali Bank, to pay government fees.
This often resulted in long queues, additional travel costs and delays in transferring funds to the government treasury.
Manual processing also created opportunities for fake challans and made it more difficult for banks and government offices to reconcile financial records accurately.
The web-based A-Challan platform was introduced to overcome these challenges. It enables citizens to make government payments through Bangladesh Bank branches, commercial banks, internet banking, mobile financial services including bKash, Nagad, Rocket, Upay and Tap, as well as debit and credit cards.
One of the system’s main advantages for users is convenience. Government fees can now be paid through nearby banks or digital payment channels without visiting a specific branch.
Digital receipts are generated immediately after payment and can be used on the same day.
For the government, the benefits extend beyond convenience.
Payments made through A-Challan are transferred instantly to the Treasury Single Account maintained by Bangladesh Bank, providing real-time information on government receipts, improving transparency and reducing the need for unnecessary short-term borrowing.
The system also supports automatic reconciliation. Once a payment is made, transaction data is matched automatically between Bangladesh Bank, the relevant accounting office and the concerned government institution.
Credit information is uploaded directly into the Integrated Budget and Accounting System (iBAS++), reducing manual errors and speeding up financial reporting.
Officials said the A-Challan dashboard allows ministries, departments and accounting offices to monitor collections, payment status and revenue trends as they happen.
The Finance Division launched A-Challan in the 2019-20 financial year as part of wider reforms to modernise Bangladesh’s public financial management system.
With all government receipts now set to flow through a single digital platform, officials expect the system to improve revenue collection, strengthen treasury management and make government payment services faster, more transparent and easier for citizens to use.
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