Brac Bank appoints 14 physically challenged, transgender people

In pursuit of diversity and social inclusion, Brac Bank has created employment opportunities for fourteen transgender and physically challenged individuals who will be deployed in different divisions of the bank, based on their skillset. 

Selim R F Hussain, MD and CEO of Brac Bank, said, "Brac Bank believes that race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or physical challenges should not be any barrier for an individual to deliver their potentials." 
"Our existing coworkers are already sensitised to welcome the new teammates with open arms in the Brac Bank family. We believe our step would also create social awareness for adoption of transgender community into the mainstream. Brac Bank has taken this initiative by responding to its conscience and inner calling as a responsible corporate citizen."  

As a part of the smooth onboarding process, the bank has already conducted special sensitising sessions for its employees about gender-related prejudices so that the new recruits receive a warm welcome and acceptance at their workplace, reads a press release. 

The MD further said, "Somebody had to take the first move to dispel the social stigma and ensure social justice as every human deserves. I also thank the educational institutions that provided academic learning opportunities to transgender and physically challenged people."

"As a values-based organisation, Brac Bank believes in 'leaving no one behind'. It respects and recognises the importance of distinctive life journeys that extend beyond the paradigms of gender. Our work focuses on creating equitable processes and policies that allow us to create space for everyone to thrive."

"It ushers in a new era of creating an inclusive society where no one will be judged by their gender or other needs but by their talent and potential. We believe many organisations would emulate this example in creating opportunities for everyone," Hussain added.

Brac Bank has been one of the country's fastest-growing banks since its inception in 2001 with a particular focus on the SME segment. With 187 branches, 374 ATMs, 461 SME Unit Offices, 541 Agent Banking Outlets and a diverse workforce of more than 8,000 people, Brac Bank also serves customers across the corporate and retail segments, stated the press release. 

The bank has generated particularly strong financial performance over the past five years and now leads the industry in most of the financial metrics. With more than 1.3 million customers the bank has already proved to be the largest collateral-free SME financier in just 20 years of its operation in Bangladesh and continues to serve as a benchmark for governance, transparency and compliance in the banking sector.