American Life Insurance Company

American Life Insurance Company (Alico Bangladesh) started full service branch operations in Bangladesh on 15 January 1974 and has since then been marketing individual and group life insurance products under the Insurance Act 1938, Insurance Rules 1958, and other applicable laws. Alico, incorporated in 1921 in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, is the largest international life insurance Company in the world. It is a member company of the American International Group (AIG) that operates life insurance businesses in more than 135 countries. American Life Insurance Company Bangladesh (referred to as the company hereafter) runs its business through its agency offices scattered mostly in big cities such as dhaka (43), chittagong (9) and khulna (3). Over 2700 career agents are working for the company. The company has a trained and dedicated work force of 223 employees in Bangladesh. 

 

Net premium income received by the company from direct business in 1999 was Tk 1,896.75 million as against Tk 21.12 million in 1981. The figures include both new or first year premiums and renewal premiums derived from its various life insurance plans/schemes such as ordinary life policies, personal accident protection, group life, group medical, and ordinary term insurance. Re-insurance premium paid by the company to its re-insurer abroad was Tk 0.32 million in 1999, when it paid a net amount of commission of Tk 333.94 million. Net claims settled by the company during the year amounted to Tk 75.11 million.

Apart from net premium income derived from direct life insurance business, the company earned Tk 514.81 million in 1999 as interest, dividend, and rent income. Major investments of the company were in short term deposits with banks, national investment bonds, Pratirakkha Sanchaya Patra, shares of companies, ICB-mutual funds, policy loans to holders, fixed deposits and permanent investment in real estate. The assets of the company were valued at Tk 5,900.27 million and the revenue surplus stood at Tk 1,042.29 million in the reference year. 

The regional office of the company at Sharjah, Dubai, oversees the administrative and business affairs of Alico Bangladesh. It invests its entire investable surplus locally, mostly in government securities/banks and shares/stocks of companies, thereby allowing usage of its progressively increasing fund in such public interests as infrastructure development, industrialisation and employment generation.