Teachers to apply online for pension

Prime minister inaugurates the online pension service that will allow them to receive retirement benfits at home Full story

Dhaka, Mar 6 (bdnews24.com)—From now on, retired teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions can apply online for government pension.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the online pension service launched by Non-Government Teacher-Employee Welfare Trust and Retirement Benefit Board at her office on Tuesday.

Under the scheme, retired teachers and employees can apply for their pension from information and service centres at unions. They will receive the money at home in a short while after making the online application.

"Our target is to ensure people's basic needs and improve their standard of living by making use of technology," said Hasina.

"The teacher community plays the pivotal role of enlightening the nation through education. But they were neglected in many aspects in the past. So, the present government is sincere in ensuring the welfare of the teachers."

The prme minister emphasised building an educated nation to get rid of poverty.

The government is paying retirement benefits to 600,000 teachers and employees by establishing the welfare trust and retirement board.

Hasina also mentioned that activities of the welfare trust remained suspended for the entire five years of BNP-led four-party alliance government.

She said her administration was planning to set up a separate commission for the teachers and contemplating decentralisation of education administration system for resolving education-related problems at local level.

"I think a special system needs to be in place to look into the appointment, salaries and benefits, retirement and other facilities of the teachers," Hasina said.

"But we have limited resources and you have to wait and be patient in the wake of the current world economic recession," she added.

Explaining her decentralisation plan, the prime minister said management of primary education would be put in the hand of Upazila Nirbahi Officer while secondary education would be managed by district office.

The government will only be responsible for financing and supervision, she added.

Hasina urged the teachers to take special care of students with disabilities and those from poor families.

Prime minister's advisor Alauddin Ahmed, education secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Support to Digital Bangladesh project director Nazrul Islam Khan, and Teacher-Employee Welfare Trust and Retirement Benefit Board member-secretary Asadul Haque also attended the programme among others.

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