CUSTOMER PERCEPTION OF ONLINE BANKING IN BANGLADESH: A CASE STUDY OF BDBL’S DIGITAL TRANSITION

The banking sector in Bangladesh is poised to become digital, with public sector banks, such as the Bangladesh Development Bank Limited (BDBL), foraying into online banking services to enhance service delivery and meet evolving customer expectations. Despite these efforts, gaps remain in digital infrastructure, awareness, and perceived service quality. This study examines customers' perceptions of BDBL's online banking services, considering prominent variables such as convenience, time-saving, safety, system reliability, and service features. To study these dimensions, the study employed a descriptive and exploratory research design using a structured questionnaire administered to 220 customers with diverse demographic and occupational profiles. Non-probability convenience sampling was employed, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, specifically mean scores, to identify trends in user satisfaction. Additionally, informal interviews with BDBL employees provided operational insights into customer data. The results show that customers perceive BDBL online banking as highly convenient and time-saving, with mean scores of 4.95 and 4.91, respectively. The customers appreciated the convenience of inter-branch transactions (mean score: 4.81). Additionally, they expressed a high demand for ATM and card services (mean score: 4.50). However, concerns remain regarding the usability of the site (mean score: 2.40), the reliability of the server (3.23), and the security of transactions (3.64). The study reveals that while BDBL customers as a whole are generally satisfied with the bank's digital transformation, limitations in information accessibility, infrastructural facilities, and security delivery hinder the achievement of complete customer satisfaction. These quantitative findings reflect both progress and challenges faced by state-owned banks in their digital transformation.