Delta Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

Delta Life Insurance Co. Ltd. established mainly through the initiative of a group of Bangladeshi professionals then working abroad along with a few enthusiastic local entrepreneurs, started its operation in December, 1986 after the Government of Bangladesh allowed the private sector to operate in the insurance sector in 1984 to carry on the business of insurance in the Private Sector. A brief explanation as to the growth of life insurance business in Bangladesh is in order here. Bangladesh declared independence from the Pakistani rules on March 26, 1971 following which she had to witness a bloody liberation struggle with the occupation forces lasting for 9 months before they were defeated. Insurance business which was exclusively carried on in private sector before independence was nationalized after liberation in 1972 primarily to address the emerging situation of eroding public confidence in the industry that was left staggeringly short of resources in the face of huge losses caused by the war of liberation. After a series of experimentation, a state-owned body, namely Jiban Bima Corporation (JBC), established in May, 1973 for transacting the life insurance business, took over the assets and liabilities under life portfolios of all erstwhile private insurance companies and started business in its own name. However, things did not improve; rather, in many respects became more exacerbating and the Government then thought it better to allow private sector participation in insurance business.
Since inception, Delta Life set before itself a high standard of all round performance coextensive with professional soundness and proficiency. It soon made a mark in the life insurance arena by not only being the leader among the private sector indigenous companies, but by undertaking and successfully implementing innovative and welfare oriented life insurance schemes. It introduced an array of conventional life and group insurance products - many of which were the first in Bangladesh. For the first time, health insurance products were also introduced by Delta Life. But more importantly, in fulfilment of the avowed commitment towards social development, Delta Life for the first time not only in Bangladesh but probably in the World, devised and introduced micro-life insurance-cum-savings products specially suited to the needs and pockets of poor people of the country who constitute more than 80% of the people of Bangladesh.
Two projects of the company namely Grameen Bima for the rural people and Gono Bima for the poor and marginal savers of the urban areas were initiated to devote themslave exclusively to marketing and management of these innovative products. We are happy to report that we have achieved a good measure of success although there is a long way to go. These schemes that we have introduced have created great stir and enthusiasm among the general mass who, before these projects started functioning, could not even dream of owning a policy that provides the much needed life insurance coverage along with facility of regular savings on a long-term basis. At a later stage i.e. in the year 2002, the projects were merged into a division of Delta Life, namely, Gono Grameen Bima Division. The GNGRB Division has been growing at a first rate of more than 25% p.a. for the last couple of the years and is poised to maintain this growth rate at least in the next five years or so.
Delta Life can take pride in moulding the saving habits of the lower and middle class people and transforming them into prospective policyholders. The potential is now so strongly perceived that all life insurance companies - old and new alike - operating in the country have started their own micro insurance products.