BRAC Bank recently signed an agreement with VisionSpring, a US-based social enterprise, to extend complimentary eye care through the bank's corporate social responsibility initiative dedicated to health, named 'Aporajeyo Ami'.

Sabbir Hossain, deputy managing director and chief operating officer of the bank, and Misha Mahjabeen, country director of the social enterprise, penned the deal at the bank's head office in Dhaka, according to a press release.

Hossain emphasised the significance of the partnership, affirming: "This collaboration with VisionSpring is a stride towards enhancing the lives of those we serve. By offering essential eye care, we ensure a better quality of life for our clients and co-workers.

Mahjabeen added: "We trust this collaboration will inspire numerous organisations to dismantle social taboos and ensure clear vision for their people."

By collaborating with VisionSpring, the bank aims to screen the vision of 15,000 factory workers from its corporate and emerging corporate clients and 500 non-executive staff members this year.

Under Aporajeyo Ami, this endeavour is designed to bolster the well-being of individuals who often lack access to such essential services due to social taboos or fear of stigmatisation.

The initiative seeks to enhance productivity, prolong service periods, increase employee retention, and increase overall productivity.

Under their Clear Vision Workplaces (CVW) programme, VisionSpring screens the vision of employess who earn less than $4 a day and provides affordable eyeglasses to those who need them.

The enterprise has helped 2.5 million low-income Bangladeshis see clearly through spectacles since 2006.