KONA, Islami Bank join hands to localise card issuance

KONA Software Lab Ltd, a payment and security solutions company in Bangladesh, launched the Kona Card Personalisation System (K-CPS) for Islami Bank Bangladesh PLC.

This will enable the bank to issue EMV-compliant debit, credit, and prepaid cards for TakaPay, a domestic scheme, as well as for global networks including Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay International.

Arief Hossain Khan, executive director and spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank; Siraj Siddiquey, chief business officer of KONA Software Lab Ltd; and Md Mosharraf Hossain, executive vice-president and head of the digital banking wing at Islami Bank, jointly inaugurated the service at the InterContinental Dhaka today, according to a press release.

"With K-CPS, KONA Software Lab Ltd has demonstrated that Bangladesh is no longer merely a consumer of foreign technology, but a provider of world-class solutions underpinned by fully local innovation and support. This will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of digital payments in the country," said Siddiquey.

Congratulating KONA, Islami Bank, and other stakeholders on delivering Bangladesh's first CPS, Khan stated: "This achievement has inspired us and laid a strong foundation for building a cashless Bangladesh."

Hossain highlighted Islami Bank's positive experience with the solution provided by KONA Software Lab.

Building on this milestone, KONA SL is preparing to establish a card manufacturing facility and a personalisation bureau. It is also expected to launch its own Card Management System and scheme-certified tokenisation service.

These initiatives, KONA SL believes, will further strengthen Bangladesh's payment ecosystem, enabling secure digital issuance and empowering banks to offer modern payment experiences.

KONA SL has previously powered end-to-end technology solutions for NexusPay, Nagad, Rainbow, and several other digital platforms in Bangladesh.