Taslima’s Story

Taslima is a 33-year-old loan officer at BRAC who resides with her parents and extended family in a peri-urban area of Bangladesh. Known for her strong understanding of digital communication and financial transactions, she is frequently approached by members of her family and community for assistance. They often seek her help with verifying information, checking documents, guiding them to DFS agents, checking balances, recharging mobiles, sending money, and opening wallets. Occasionally, she receives money from people abroad, sent to her wallet on behalf of others. When unable to assist directly, she refers them to DFS agents. Most of the people who approach her are women from her community.

Taslima enjoys using her knowledge to help others, as it enhances her social standing and brings her personal satisfaction. However, she has encountered challenges, such as a situation where a student’s mother asked her to open a Rocket wallet for a stipend but didn't have a mobile phone. The mother didn’t want to use her husband's mobile due to his addiction issues and feared he might take the money. Taslima agreed to open the wallet under her mobile number, and the stipend was eventually received through her phone.

A few months ago, Taslima faced a personal issue when a friend sent her 10,000 taka to her account. She was unable to withdraw the money because she had forgotten the PIN. Recovering it proved difficult as the account was registered with someone else’s NID, and she had lost contact with that person. After several visits to the customer care point, she finally resolved the issue.