IFIC launches special banking services for freelancers

IFIC Bank has launched a special service 'IFIC Freelancer Service Package' for freelancers working in Bangladesh to bring their income earned from abroad into their bank accounts and to provide them with banking services.

The launching ceremony of the package was organised at IFIC Tower, Purana Paltan, Dhaka on (Sunday) 4 September, said a press release.

Chairman of the IFIC Bank Limited and Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Advisor Salman F Rahman, MP and Managing Director & CEO of IFIC Bank Shah A Sarwar, Deputy Managing Directors, Head of Retail Banking Ferdousi Begum, Chairman of Bangladesh Freelancer Development Society Dr Tanjiba Rahman, Managing Director of Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Dr Bikarna Kumar Ghosh, officials of IFIC Bank, representatives of Bangladesh Freelancer Development Society (BFDS), freelancers, various professionals and journalists were present in the programme.

Salman F Rahman, speaking as the chief guest, said, "Today Bangladesh has become 'Digital Bangladesh' due to the efforts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ICT advisor Sajib Wazed Joy. While many first-world countries were struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic, we survived because we were able to become a digital nation.

"Now is the time for us to become a smart Bangladesh, the 4th industrial revolution is about to happen. We have to be prepared for technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Robotics, Internet of Things, Machine Learning etc. Freelancers have an important role to play in this sector," he added.

"Earlier, there was no social recognition of freelancers. I worked towards this goal according to the directions of the prime minister and with the support of the ICT Division and the State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak was able to introduce an ID system for the freelancers.

"Today, the income history of freelancers will be created through this account, as a result, freelancers will be able to improve themselves and the country by taking various banking facilities. Today's freelancers are tomorrow's entrepreneurs, for achieving this goal, IFIC Bank will always be by their side. In the future, with freelancers' hard work, it will be possible to earn the same amount of foreign income from the ICT sector as the readymade garment sector," Salman noted.

Chairman of Bangladesh Freelancer Development Society (BFDS) Tanjiba Rahman said, "About six and a half lakh freelancers are actively working in our country. Many of them often face challenges in transferring their income earned from abroad to their accounts in Bangladesh. Hopefully, we will not have to face these challenges as IFIC Bank has launched 'IFIC Freelancer Service Package'."

IFIC Bank Managing Director and CEO Mr Shah A Sarwar said, "Our main objective is to bring people from all classes of society under banking services. In that continuation, the journey of this IFIC freelancer banking package started. With more than 1200 IFIC Bank shakha-uposhakha across the country, freelancers spread across the country can easily avail this banking facility. Now, they can bring the earned income to their bank account quickly, easily and seamlessly and also can carry out cross-border e-commerce transactions for their work needs."

The banking service package of IFIC includes Export Retention Quota (ERQ) account, freelancers will get a Visa International Debit Card against the US dollar of this ERQ account and an IFIC Aamar Account, against which they will get an IFIC Aamar Card- Visa International Cross Currency Debit Card.

One-stop banking service facilities and service counters for freelancers will be available at 1200+ IFIC Bank shakha-uposhakha across the country. They will get the MFS transactions facility like bkash, Nagad etc. directly from their bank account. They will get profits like FDR on the deposited money on a daily basis rate and can withdraw it at the end of the month. With IFIC Aamar Card, anyone can withdraw money from any bank's ATM across the country without any cost.