BP Business Desk
“Nagad”, the Mobile Financial Service of the Bangladesh Postal Department has donated Tk 60 lakh to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Relief and Welfare Fund to fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Ahmad Kaikaus, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister has received Nagad’s donation cheque of Tk 60 lakh during Prime Minister’s presence at her office through a video conference from Gonobhaban Complex on Sunday.
“We are going through a pandemic (coronavirus) which has defined itself as the global crisis of our time. As Nagad and Posts and Telecommunications Division family, we consider it as our duty to stand by the people of the country during such crisis.
We are grateful to our Honorable Prime Minister for accepting our small contribution to her Relief and Welfare fund. To ensure victory against the crisis, we are always ready to follow directions from our Honorable Prime Minister.
This is a war we must conquer. We believe in saving the people saves the Nation.”- says Tanvir A Mishuk, Managing Director, Nagad.
In respond to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s call, Nagad stands by the rural, remote and marginal people of Bangladesh-to fight the rendered crisis during the coronavirus outbreak.
To provide day to day financial solution for the people of the country, Nagad has not taken a single day off since the beginning of government declared general holidays in the COVID-19 gripped situation. Nagad has also been enlisted as an Emergency Service of the government.
To ensure both uninterrupted services and employee health safety, Nagad has provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all of its employees and healthcare support to almost 2 lac of its members who are Nagad’s entrepreneurs, distributors and salespersons. The support includes up to Tk 500,000 for treatment any of Nagad’s members become positive for coronavirus.
In addressing the crisis, the Prime Minister has initiated to provide Tk 2500 cash stipends to each of 50 lac families who are vulnerable in the coronavirus outbreak.
The govt. venture Nagad is being used to disburse Tk 425 crore of the Govt. stipend to 17 lac families throughout the country. Recipients will be able to cash out the stipends for free of costs.
Besides, Nagad has also stood by the SME sector during the crisis period. The “Swadhin Merchant” initiative has reduced the transaction fees to Tk 6 for every Tk 1000 for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) whereas other mobile financial services charge Tk 20 for similar services.
Nagad and Green Delta Insurance Limited (GDIC) are jointly launching a fundraising platform named “Amra Korbo Joy” to help farmers defeat the coronavirus crisis.
The fundraising platform will allow the two organizations to collect funds from both Bangladesh and abroad and the collected funds will be distributed to the destitute farmers of the country before the Eid-Ul-Fitr occasion.
In addition, Nagad employees are distributing free foods and essential goods among the destitute people in as many as 492 Upazilas of the country to support its cause of “Saving the people saves the Nation”.
