IFIC launches special banking services for freelancers

IFIC Bank Ltd 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 quickly, safely and seamlessly and simultaneously provide them with all kinds of banking services.

The launching ceremony of the service package was organized at IFIC Tower, Purana Paltan, Dhaka on Sunday (4 September).

Chairman of IFIC Bank and Prime Minister's Private Industry & Investment Advisor Salman F Rahman, and Managing Director & CEO of IFIC Bank Shah A Sarwar, 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 that today Bangladesh has become "Digital Bangladesh" due to the efforts of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ICT advisor Sajib Wazed Joy.

"When 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.," he remarked.

Freelancers have an important role to play in this sector. Earlier there was no social recognition of freelancers, the bank's chairman said.

"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, he further.

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 Shah A Sarwar said the bank's 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 1,200 IFIC Bank branches-subbranches across the country, freelancers can easily avail this banking facility.

"Now they can bring the earned income to their bank account quickly, easily & seamlessly and also can carry out cross-border e-commerce transactions for their work needs," he added.

This 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 dedicated service counters for freelancers will be available at 1,200+ IFIC Bank branches-subbranches across the country.

They will get MFS transactions facility directly from their bank account.

They will get an attractive profit 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.