Workers can make bKash payments at Apon Bazar

Through bKash payments, the workers of Beximco Industrial Park can now purchase daily commodities at a cheaper rate from Apon Bazar, a fair-price shop installed at the factory premises.

Around 40,000 workers of the industrial park can avail of this facility at Apon Bazar, a joint initiative of Beximco, bKash and Apon Wellbeing, said a press release.

Moreover, through bKash payments, workers will also enjoy a 5 per cent cashback and avail of a maximum of Tk 50 till March 31.

The initiative will save workers’ time and cash-out costs and also enable them to get secure and easy digital transactions.

The outlet of ‘Apon Bazar’ was inaugurated at the premises of Beximco Industrial Park on Sunday. KM Akram Hossain, senior general manager of Finance and Accounts and Khalid Shahrior, head of HR and Compliance of Beximco Industrial Park; ATM Mahbub Alam, head of Payroll Business of bKash and Saif Rashid, managing director of AponTech Ltd were present at the event.

Under the initiative, around 30 fair-price shops have been set up in different garment factories for the benefit of the workers.

Currently, more than a million workers are receiving salaries through bKash. Not only disbursing salary, bKash is also working on building a sustainable ecosystem of digital transactions for the RMG sector.

In this regard, bKash is developing its merchant network in and around the labour-intensive areas, installing sanitary napkin vending machines for the female workers in the factories, and facilitating insurance and other services for the workers. As a result, they are being able to better manage their finances digitally by utilising the salary received through bKash.

Bangladesh Export Import Company Limited, commonly known as BEXIMCO is Bangladesh’s largest conglomerate, with the largest market capitalisation on the country’s stock market. BEXIMCO’s subsidiaries export products to 55 countries worldwide. It has retail outlets in South Asia and Eastern Europe.

Beximco operates one of the largest integrated textile production businesses in Asia. Its main manufacturing base is the Beximco Industrial Park in Gazipur. Beximco Pharma, the group’s pharmaceutical producer, was the first Bangladeshi company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Since the early 1970s, Beximco has been a pioneer in the industrial and business sectors. Currently, it has operations and investments across a wide range of industries including pharmaceuticals, ceramics, renewable energy, textiles, LPG, food & beverage, satellite-to-home television, PPE, media, ICT, real estate, financial services, and travel and tourism.

Recently, Beximco with other companies donated Tk 6.93cr to the Labour Welfare Fund support to workers in the formal and informal sectors for accidental deaths, treatment of injuries, and incurable diseases, and also for the higher education of their children.