|| Special Correspondent: An award distribution ceremony and motivational meeting was held at the head office of National Life Insurance yesterday. The programme focused on improving the professional skills and performance of the company’s officials. As part of the July premium collection competition, 26 officials from the company’s head office received awards for their outstanding performance. The programme was chaired by National Life's Chairman Toafazzal Hossain. Shahadat Hossain Selim, Member of Parliament from Lakshmipur-1 and a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance, attended the event as the Chief Guest. Professor Abu Ahmed, Chairman of the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh and noted politician Habibur Rahman Habib, Adviser to the BNP Chairman were present as Special Guests. National Life's CEO Md. Kazim Uddin and Deputy Managing Director and CFO Prabir Chandra Das FCA also spoke at the programme. Assistant Managing Director Md. Enamul Haque conducted the event. DMD Md. Abul Kasem, DMD Bahar Uddin Majumder and other Senior Executives of the company were also present. Speaking at the event, Shahadat Hossain Selim said that insurance plays an important role in people’s lives, especially during difficult times. Sharing his own experience, he said he had purchased an insurance policy from National Life in 1990 and had benefited from it. He added that many people had also benefited from taking insurance policies from the company. As a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Finance, he said he would work sincerely for the development of the insurance sector. He also said that available data and statistics show that National Life is the Number-1 insurance company in the country and expressed hope that the company would continue its progress. Professor Abu Ahmed said National Life has maintained a strong position compared with other insurance companies in the country. He recalled that the company had received awards in the past for its best performance in different ratings and mentioned that he had been a member of one of the committees involved in the evaluation. He also spoke about National Life’s founder, M. Haider Chowdhury, saying that he had contributed to the country’s economic development but had not received proper recognition at the state level. Habibur Rahman Habib said National Life has a good reputation across the country, particularly for its claim settlement. He also shared his personal experience, saying that he had purchased an insurance policy from National Life in 1985 when he was a student. National Life's Chairman Toafazzal Hossain said the company gives the highest priority to protecting customers’ money and settling their insurance claims on time. He added that while many companies struggle to settle claims within the expected time, National Life has been ensuring that customers receive their claim payments within the stipulated period. CEO Md. Kazim Uddin said the company’s reputation has been growing across the country because of its prompt settlement of insurance claims. He said this has also contributed to an increase in premium collection. According to him, the achievement is the result of the cooperation, dedication and combined efforts of officials at every level of the company.