BRAC Bank and VisionSpring have launched an eye-care programme for tea garden communities, aiming to provide screenings, eyeglasses and referrals for further treatment to more than 2,000 workers, their family members and elderly people in Chattogram.
Launched at Neptune Tea Estate Limited, a sister concern of Ispahani Group, the initiative marks the first time the BRAC Bank–VisionSpring partnership has extended its eye-care services to tea garden workers—a community that often has limited access to specialised healthcare.
The programme began on 16 August 2026, with 62 people screened on the first day. Of them, 45 people (73%) were found to need eyeglasses and received them through the initiative. Another 12 people were identified with potential cataracts and referred for further examination and follow-up care.
The programme will serve tea garden workers and people from surrounding communities, providing eye examinations, eyeglasses and referrals for those requiring specialised treatment.
Tareq Refat Ullah Khan, Managing Director and CEO of BRAC Bank, said, “Clear vision directly affects a person’s ability to work, learn, support their family and live independently. By taking eye-care services directly to tea garden communities, we aim to remove the barriers that often prevent people from receiving timely care.”
“The findings from the first day—particularly the high proportion of people needing eyeglasses—demonstrate the scale of the unmet need and the difference accessible eye care can make,” he added.
Misha Mehjabeen, Country Manager of VisionSpring, said, “Clear vision can significantly improve a person’s quality of life and economic well-being. Through our partnership with BRAC Bank, we are bringing essential eye-care services closer to tea garden workers and their families, enabling more people to live and work with confidence.”
The programme forms part of BRAC Bank’s flagship healthcare initiative, ‘Aporajeyo Ami’, which aims to improve access to essential healthcare for underserved communities.
Since 2024, the partnership between BRAC Bank and VisionSpring has provided eye screenings to more than 130,000 underserved people, combining community outreach with professional eye examinations, eyeglasses and referrals for further treatment.