DHAKA: Eastern Bank Limited (EBL), in association with Visa, the leading global payment technology company, has launched special Visa Hajj and Umrah travel prepaid card.

The card aims to offer hassle-free international travel for pilgrims, along with a secure and reliable way to pay, a press release said.

According to the release, the card is a smart alternative to paper-based instruments like Traveler’s cheque or currency notes for the pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj and Umrah.

Pilgrims can load required foreign currency at home by paying in Bangladeshi currency.

Launching EBL Visa Hajj and Umrah Card, the bank’s managing director and also chief executive officer (CEO) Ali Reza Iftekhar said, “EBL was the first bank in Bangladesh to launch Hajj Prepaid Cards in 2010. For the last four years, we have been serving the payment need of the pilgrims with highest level of dedication”.

“This year onward we will be offering card users added features and benefits.”

Visa group country manager in India and South Asia Uttam Nayak said “We are delighted to launch the Hajj Visa Travel Prepaid card with Eastern Bank Limited to enable customers with unmatched convenience and reliability”.

“The card will offer greater ease to customers traveling to Saudi Arabia and help save on traveling expense by allowing them to spend smartly.”

Added benefits offered to card users include issue of cards without any fee, free mobile phone SIM with discounted call tariff for Bangladesh, exclusive discounts and other benefits extended across Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah.

The benefits also include card users’ access to local currency from Visa ATMs at Saudi Arabia, convenient payment for purchases in local currency at tens of millions of merchants’ worldwide, protection against fraudulent transactions if the card is lost or stolen.

Robi, Bangladesh’s one of the leading mobile phone operators as a partner of the card, will offer free SIMs with discounted voice call and sms tariff for Bangladesh to pilgrims.

EBL Hajj and Umrah Cards are available at all EBL branches country-wide.

BDST: 1436 HRS, SEP 06, 2014