English guide
Bangladesh SWIFT Codes: What Senders Need to Know
A SWIFT/BIC identifies a bank for many cross-border messages. It is not the recipient’s account number, and it is not always something you type when a remittance app pays into a wallet.
What a SWIFT/BIC is for
SWIFT and BIC name the same kind of bank identifier in most everyday sending screens. The code tells the messaging network which bank — and sometimes which branch — should receive the payment instruction. It does not replace the account number, the account name, or any local routing field the receiving bank or the sending bank still asks for.
When an international transfer needs one
Bank wires and many correspondent-bank transfers ask for a SWIFT/BIC so the instruction can be routed. A money-transfer provider that pays into a Bangladesh bank account may also ask for bank details that include a SWIFT/BIC, or it may fill bank routing from its own list. The form you are using is the authority for that send.
Cash pickup and many mobile-wallet remittances do not ask the sender to enter a Bangladesh bank SWIFT code, because the payout is not a bank-wire credit in the same way.
SWIFT versus the bank account number
- The SWIFT/BIC identifies the bank (and sometimes a branch).
- The account number identifies the customer’s account at that bank.
- The account name must match what the receiving bank expects.
- Some forms also ask for a branch name, routing number, or other local detail.
Using only a SWIFT code, without the correct account details, is not enough to credit an account.
General codes and branch-specific codes
Some banks publish an eight-character bank-level SWIFT/BIC. Some also publish longer, eleven-character codes that include a branch identifier. An eight-character code on a contact page is not, by itself, proof that every branch uses that same string. Confirm the receiving bank’s own instructions for the account you are paying.
Bank wires versus remittance-provider bank deposits
A classic bank-to-bank wire and a remittance paid as a bank deposit can both end in a Bangladesh account, but the screens differ. On a wire, you often enter SWIFT and account details yourself. On a provider app, you may choose “bank deposit,” pick a bank, and enter an account number while the provider handles correspondent routing. Either way, wrong account details can delay or return the payment.
Why some wallet transfers skip SWIFT
When the payout is a mobile wallet such as bKash, the provider is usually paying into that wallet product, not asking you to address a bank with a BIC. What bKash itself says about receiving from abroad is kept in the bKash remittance guide. That path is separate from a SWIFT wire into a bank account.
How to verify receiving-bank instructions
- Ask the recipient for the bank’s own stated SWIFT/BIC for that account, or check the bank’s official website or document.
- Match the account name and account number to what the bank holds.
- If the bank publishes branch-specific codes, use the one that matches the receiving branch when the bank or the form requires it.
- Prefer the provider’s or receiving bank’s instructions over unofficial code directories.
Bank-specific guides on this site
This page is not a directory of every Bangladesh bank. Two bank pages record identifiers published on official bank sources, with check dates and caveats:
Sending money to Bangladesh?
Knowing the receiving bank’s SWIFT code is only one part of an international transfer. Fees, exchange rates and payout methods can also affect how much money your recipient receives.
What this page will not do
It does not list every Bangladesh bank’s SWIFT code, invent branch suffixes, show live transfer quotes, or process payments. TakaCompare is a pre-launch comparison and referral project. It does not receive, hold, or transfer customer funds.
Related reading
Questions
Is a SWIFT code the same as a bank account number?
No. The SWIFT/BIC identifies the bank (and sometimes a branch). The account number identifies the customer’s account.
Do all money transfers to Bangladesh need a SWIFT code?
No. Many wallet and cash-pickup remittances do not ask the sender for a bank SWIFT/BIC. Bank wires and some bank-deposit forms do.
Does this page list every Bangladesh bank?
No. Only the bank-specific guides linked above are covered so far, and only from official bank sources named on those pages.
Does TakaCompare verify a live wire?
No. TakaCompare does not process transfers or confirm individual payments. Confirm details with the receiving bank and the provider you use.
Sources
This page explains concepts and points to bank-specific guides. Bank SWIFT/BIC strings are published only on those bank pages, each with an official source and check date (17 October 2026 for the Islami Bank and City Bank pages).