Eastern Bank PLC (EBL) has partnered with Friendship to expand access to essential healthcare and safe drinking water for vulnerable communities across Bangladesh as part of its corporate social responsibility initiatives.
A memorandum of understanding was signed at EBL’s head office in Dhaka, where Eastern Bank Additional Managing Director Ahmed Shaheen handed over a cheque to Friendship Founder and Executive Director Runa Khan to mark the collaboration.
Under Friendship’s Char Surgery Access Programme, the partnership will bring specialist surgical care to isolated river island communities in northern Bangladesh.
More than 1,000 surgeries are planned under the initiative, aimed at restoring sight, mobility and quality of life for patients with limited access to specialised medical treatment.
The programme will use Friendship’s floating hospitals — Emirates Friendship Hospital and Lifebuoy Friendship Hospital — along with satellite clinics and trained community medic-aides.
The initiative will deliver procedures including cataract surgery, burn contracture repair, prolapse correction, Achilles tendon surgery and other general surgeries.
“Friendship continues to play an instrumental role in humanitarian service through its fleet of floating hospitals,” said Eastern Bank Additional Managing Director Ahmed Shaheen.
“We are pleased to partner with Friendship to support initiatives that address healthcare gaps while also helping communities adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change,” he said.
“This partnership brings together two urgent priorities for vulnerable communities: access to essential surgical care and safe drinking water,” said Friendship Founder and Executive Director Runa Khan.
“By addressing both, we are improving health and quality of life while strengthening resilience in communities living on the frontlines of exclusion and climate vulnerability,” she said.
In addition to healthcare support, Eastern Bank will fund installation of two multi-source water treatment plants in Shyamnagar, a cyclone-prone coastal region where freshwater sources are often contaminated due to salinity and climate impacts.
Each plant will produce up to 1,000 litres of purified water per hour and is expected to serve about 400 families.
Senior representatives from both organisations attended the signing ceremony.
From Friendship they included Senior Director Legal and Chief Financial Officer Muhammed Shameem Reza, Senior Director and Head of Strategy Planning and Climate Action Kazi Amdadul Hoque, Deputy Director Health Dr Rafi Abul Hasnath Siddique and Assistant Director Partnership Development Enamul Haque.
Eastern Bank officials present included Head of Communications and External Affairs Ziaul Karim, Company Secretary Md Abdullah Al Mamun, Head of Administration Maj Md Abdus Salam psc Retd and Head of Business Information Systems Md Maskur Reza FCA.
