BRPD Circular Letter No. 18: Special Health Insurance for Bankers Working at Bank Premises During General Holidays for COVID-19 Pandemic

BRPD Circular Letter No. 18 Banking Regulation and Policy Department Bangladesh Bank Head Office Dhaka. BRPD Circular Letter No. 18 Date: 02 Baisakh 1427 15 April 2020 Managing Director / Chief Executive All Scheduled Banks operating in Bangladesh. Dear Sir, Regarding Special Health Insurance and Special Grant for Bankers/Staff working at Banks during the General Holidays declared by the Government to prevent Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection. Reference is invited to BRPD Circular No. 05 issued by Bangladesh Bank on 22 March 2020 on the above subject. 02. Through the aforementioned circular, advice was given to banks to properly follow 16 guidelines issued to prevent community transmission due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Subsequently, through BRPD Circular Letter No. 13 issued on 08 April 2020, instructions were also given to take the help of local administration if necessary to ensure that customers/visitors/applicants and bankers/staff arriving at the bank maintain a specified distance. 03. However, some bankers and staff have already been infected with the coronavirus COVID-19 while performing banking duties. In this context, it has been decided to provide special health insurance facilities and special grants as recognition of their duty performance by those who have actively performed their duties or are performing them by risking their lives and families to keep the banking sector active during the government-declared general holidays. For this purpose, instructions are given to follow the following policy: a) Bankers/staff who have performed or are performing their duties by personally participating in banking programs at the bank during the government-declared general holidays, if infected with COVID-19, shall be provided with special health insurance of not less than 5 lakh Taka and not more than 10 lakh Taka by the concerned bank depending on the grade; the bank may decide to determine eligibility based on position; b) The said amount shall be provided within the minimum possible time (within 15 days of maximum infection) and the concerned bank shall bear the actual cost of treatment; c) In the unfortunate event of the death of any bank staff due to infection with COVID-19 while performing duties during general holidays, a special grant equal to 5 (five) times the amount fixed for special health insurance shall be provided by the concerned bank to their family. In this regard, this special grant shall not be adjusted with any other dues of the bank. It is mentioned that other allowances and facilities provided under the existing policy of the bank shall be provided as usual; d) In addition, if any banker/staff falls victim to any accident while traveling to/from the bank or while performing duties, the concerned bank shall bear the actual cost of treatment. 04. These instructions shall be effective from the date of the government-declared general holidays and this special health insurance shall remain effective for 30 (thirty) days after the end of the general holidays. However, in the event of the unfortunate death of any banker/staff due to infection with COVID-19 during the said period, their family shall be entitled to a special grant under Section 3(c). 05. These instructions are issued under the powers conferred by Section 45 of the Companies Act, 1991. Yours faithfully, (Md. Nurul Alam) Deputy General Manager Phone: 9530359