As members of a former president’s family, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s family members are coming under a government retirement scheme.
The government has already drafted a bill on the president’s retirement benefit.
The bill was placed in the weekly cabinet meeting yesterday chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It was sent back for further development, Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told reporters.
“President’s retirement privileges were installed by a 1979 ordinance. The government thinks the ordinance needs amendment. There is a court order for this as well,” Musharraf said.
In reply to a query, he said the reason behind the father of the nation’s family members being so far deprived of the retirement scheme needs to be investigated.
Sources said the cabinet sent the bill back because it was drafted in Bangla and they sought an English version.
A senior member of the cabinet said the proposed bill will bring the benefits for Bangabandhu’s family with retrospective effects.
He also said Sheikh Rehana, the younger of Bangabandu’s two daughters, will be eligible for the benefits, but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will not be.
“As Sheikh Hasina got married before her father’s retirement, she will not be eligible,” said a minister who is a practising lawyer.
Another member who attended the cabinet meeting told the Dhaka Tribune: “There is a clause in the amended act that says for family members to be eligible for the benefits, a president must stay in the post for at least six six months.”
Sources said if the bill is finalised, only Khandakar Mustaque Ahmad’s family will not qualify.
At present, Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad is also not getting any retirement benefits because he had been punished by a court.
But Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the former military autocrat has been enjoying the army’s retirement benefits.
“Not every former president or his family members are enjoying the benefits for different reasons,” Musharraf said.
According to the 1979 ordinance, former presidents or their family get 75% of the president’s basic salary.
The current basic salary of the country’s president is Tk61,200.
Cabinet sources said Justice Shahabuddin Ahmed and AQM Badruddoza Chowdhury are personally enjoying the benefits because they are alive.
The family of late presidents Ziaur Rahman and Abdur Rahman Biswas are also getting the benefits.
However, the cabinet secretary could not elucidate on the statuses of former presidents Syed Nazrul Islam, Justice Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, Mohammad Mohammadullah, Justice Abdus Sattar, Justice Abul Fazal Mohammad Ahsanuddin Choudhury, Iajuddin Ahmed and Md Zillur Rahman.