The pension scheme for all people aged above 60 is solely the result of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s thoughts, said Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud.
“She wants to transform Bangladesh into a social welfare state. The BNP, any other political party, the civil society or those who try to enlighten the nation for no reason has ever claimed this,” he said.
He made the remarks while exchanging views with journalists on contemporary issues at Chattogram Circuit House on Friday.
He said that 30 million people are receiving various benefits including old age allowance, widow allowance, husband abandonment allowance through the government's social security net.
“The Prime Minister has directed to enact a law so that 60-year-olds would be covered under the pension scheme. Our citizens working abroad will also come under it,” he added.
Replying to a question on the recent remarks of the BNP leaders, Hasan Mahmud said, “The BNP has been trying to bid farewell to the government in their Naya Paltan office for 12 years.
Despite them bidding farewell to the government, the people have elected us in the last two elections and given us the responsibility to run the country.”
In response to the question of the journalists about the demand of the nongovernmental organization SUJAN to publish the names of 10 people recommended by the search committee for the formation of the Election Commission, Hasan Mahmud asked a counter question, “Who are these SUJANs? It is an NGO which has no branches in the whole country.
It is run by raising funds from various organizations, even from the Election Commission. The law says the search committee will select the 10 people. Whether or not to publish their names is a matter of concern for the search committee alone.”
The Information and Broadcasting Minister said that the initiative taken to form the Election Commission on the basis of transparency and participation is unprecedented. This does not happen even in the country of hundreds of years old democracy, including India, the country of 75 years old democracy.
Chairman of Chattogram District Council and President of North District Awami League MA Salam and General Secretary of Chattogram Metropolitan Awami League and former City Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin were present during this time.
