BRAC Bank TARA at 8: Creating financial avenues for women

BRAC Bank TARA

BRAC Bank launched TARA, the country’s first comprehensive banking proposition dedicated to women, in 2017. It was created to ensure that women, whether entrepreneurs, homemakers, students, professionals, or rural customers, could access financial services tailored to their needs. 

Eight years later, over 300,000 women from all walks of life now bank with BRAC Bank TARA. Women account for 28% of the bank’s customer base. TARA contributes 32% of the total retail deposit portfolio, with 39% of BRAC Bank’s retail deposit net growth in 2024 coming from TARA.

The idea behind TARA was to empower, inspire and connect women across Bangladesh, serving the financial and lifestyle needs of individual women and business owners with personalised banking solutions. 

With a deposit portfolio exceeding BDT 10,000 crore and a retail loan portfolio of more than BDT 880 crore, TARA has become one of the largest women-focused financial propositions in the country. It is a model for how well-designed women’s banking can deliver institutional results at scale.

The journey began with only 13% of the bank’s customers being women — a figure that reflected broader systemic issues: limited access to credit, low financial literacy, informal business structures, and product offerings that didn’t reflect women’s realities. 

BRAC Bank modelled TARA as a full-scale ecosystem of financial and non-financial services — designed to meet women where they are and walk beside them toward financial independence. 

TARA’s products are structured around life stages, aspirations, and use cases.

The TARA Flexi DPS offers complimentary health insurance and maternity coverage for account holders meeting a minimum threshold. The TARA Golden Benefit Savings Account provides up to BDT 6 lac in health insurance for senior citizen customers. Credit offerings are structured with relaxed documentation and preferential terms.

TARA has gained significant traction among homemakers. Over 128,000 women maintain CASA accounts, with a collective deposit portfolio exceeding BDT 1,056 crore.

TARA launched Bangladesh’s first women-branded virtual debit card on the digital front, integrated into BRAC Bank’s Astha app. Through Astha, women can open accounts via eKYC, manage funds, pay bills, and bank securely with full control. Today, 12% of Astha users are TARA customers. Through BRAC Bank’s agent network, 21% of customers are women — many accessing formal banking for the first time.

TARA’s credit card portfolio includes Mastercard World and VISA Platinum variants designed for mass and high-net-worth women. These products offer reduced fees, flexible criteria, and benefits shaped by actual usage behaviour. At the Cottage, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (CMSME) level, the TARA Women Entrepreneur Cell supports more than 89,000 women-led SMEs. Over BDT 1,600 crore is disbursed annually, with 93% of loans collateral-free. Of these, 72% are first-time borrowers — a sign that TARA is not just financing growth but creating access to formal banking. 

BRAC Bank now holds 25% of the private commercial banking WSME loan portfolio in Bangladesh. TARA’s SME non-performing loan ratio stands at 1.1%, reflecting strong financial discipline and long-term viability of women-led enterprises.

Capacity-building is a central pillar of TARA’s SME ecosystem. Uddokta 101, a three-month accelerator programme delivered in partnership with universities, covers business modelling, digital marketing, and financial planning.

Amrai TARA has delivered rural training at 187 branches, reaching 1,870 women in 2024. UddogTARA Digital Workshops have trained over 150 entrepreneurs in content creation, business photography, and digital marketing.

TARA has provided ERP solutions to more than 1,200 entrepreneurs to enable operational scale. These systems help digitise inventory, finances, and business records. Shabolombi TARA has trained over 1,600 women in freelancing, unlocking flexible, home-based income streams.

TARA also integrates mental health into its programming. Through a partnership with Moner Bondhu, resilience training and counselling are embedded in business development sessions, recognising that financial empowerment also requires personal well-being.

BRAC Bank encourages its frontline staff to bring in more women customers by offering extra incentives. Staff also receive specialised training to understand better and serve women clients. A nationwide delivery network of 446 SME units and 1,123 agent outlets enables access across urban and rural geographies. 

BRAC Bank is the only bank in Bangladesh to receive five awards from the Financial Alliance for Women, standing out among 81 global institutions. It has also won the Global SME Finance Award three times, the Mastercard Excellence Award, and the SDG Brand Champion Award.

Moreover, international organisations like IFC, FMO, and the Financial Alliance for Women have recognised TARA as a model for inclusive banking. Strategic partnerships with the Gates Foundation, DEG Impulse, a2i, USAID, and Babson College have helped TARA scale and evolve, integrating global best practices into local operations.

TARA is an integrated platform built around the evolving needs of women— a system where every product, policy, and programme work in sync. It is a platform to help realize potential of every woman. With its reach, relevance, and results, BRAC Bank TARA has redefined how banks can serve women — not just as customers, but as contributors to economic transformation. – Press release