‘Probashi Card’ to be available next month with 10 special benefits

The government’s new initiative ‘Probashi Card’ is going to be launched on a trial basis in the middle of next month. The government has planned to bring various financial, administrative and social services on one platform through this special card for expatriate Bangladeshis. In the first phase, the Probashi Debit Card will be issued through Janata Bank. Later, the Probashi Kalyan Bank will manage its overall activities.

A decision was taken in this regard at a meeting regarding the Probashi Card held at the Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday (July 18). After the meeting, Deputy Press Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office Shahadat Swadhin informed reporters about this.

He said that the government’s goal is to increase the social status of expatriates, ensure financial empowerment and facilitate international payment and banking services through dual currency facilities. As part of the election promise, the initiative has been taken to launch the Probashi Card after the Family Card, Farmers Card and Sports Card.

Benefits that will be available in the Probashi Card

The government has said that expatriate card holders will get several special benefits at home and abroad. These include—

Access to complimentary airport lounges at home and abroad.
Faster service through special immigration booths.
Complimentary ‘meet and greet’ facilities at international airports.
Special discounts on air tickets and hotel bookings.
Fairly priced car bookings at home and abroad and airport pick-up and drop facilities for Signature Card holders.
Special discounts on expatriate service booths at government hospitals and treatment at private hospitals.
Free transportation of the body to the country in case of death of the cardholder.
Priority in rehabilitation of expatriates, insurance facilities and land registration, name transfer, utility connection, licenses and foreign investment.
Remittance reward points, credit scoring, loan facilities and easy money sending and transactions through cards.
Priority in NID, passport, consular services and other government and banking services.
Implementation in phases

According to the government's plan, the expatriate card will be launched on a trial basis in the middle of next month. In the first phase, the cards will be issued through Janata Bank. The target has been set to distribute 50,000 expatriate cards by December and 200,000 by June next year.

In the second phase, all the activities of the expatriate card will be conducted through the Expatriate Welfare Bank. At the same time, instructions have been given to the concerned to take necessary measures so that Bangladeshi expatriates residing in different countries of the world can come under this facility.

In addition, the meeting has also given instructions to make the National Skill Development Authority more modern and timely, so that the skills of expatriate workers can be improved and Bangladesh's position in the international labor market can be further strengthened.