The government has launched an Online Pension Tracking and Management System (OPTMS) aimed at streamlining pension services, reducing delays and improving transparency for retired public servants.
State Minister for Public Administration and Food Md Abdul Bari inaugurated a workshop on the new system at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday, according to a press release.
Speaking at the event, Abdul Bari said the digital platform would help end the long-standing difficulties faced by pensioners in obtaining pension approvals and benefits while strengthening accountability in public service delivery.
He noted that retired government employees often face delays, complex procedures and repeated visits to offices to complete pension-related formalities.
“Once OPTMS becomes fully operational, pensioners will be able to track and manage their applications online, significantly reducing processing time and harassment,” he said.
The workshop was organised under the Strengthening Public Financial Management Programme to Enable Service Delivery (SPFMS) of the Finance Division.
The state minister said expanding online public services could play a significant role in reducing corruption by limiting the need for direct interactions with officials.
He also suggested reviewing existing rules relating to pension restoration, noting that families of pensioners who surrender 100 per cent of their pension benefits remain ineligible for reinstatement if the pensioner dies before the completion of the 15-year restoration period.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md Ehsanul Hoque, who chaired the workshop, said the lack of a comprehensive database of government employees had long complicated pension approval processes.
He said maintaining an updated employee database and establishing dedicated help desks for pensioners would further improve service delivery.
Finance Division Secretary Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder said the new system would strengthen confidence among retired government employees by ensuring hassle-free pension services.
The OPTMS will initially be piloted at the Ministry of Public Administration for regular pension cases before being gradually expanded to the Finance Division, the Office of the Controller General of Accounts, other ministries, departments and field-level offices.
He also proposed considering a “One Rank, One Pension” system to reduce disparities among retirees and enhance financial security.
Controller General of Accounts S M Rezvi said digital reforms had already improved post-retirement pension management and increased transparency and accountability in pension administration.
Additional Secretary and National Programme Director of SPFMS Dr Ziaul Abedin highlighted the progress made through the Integrated Budget and Accounting System (iBAS++), including automation of General Provident Fund management, post-retirement benefits, asset management, TA/DA processing, Family Card and Farmer Card databases, and the Last Pay Certificate module.
He expressed hope that OPTMS would further simplify pension processing before retirement and improve services for employees approaching retirement.
According to a keynote presentation at the workshop, the new system will allow government employees to submit pension applications online, monitor file movements in real time and complete pension-related formalities without repeatedly visiting government offices.
The platform will automatically retrieve service and financial information from iBAS++, reducing manual data entry and minimising processing errors.
Officials said pension payments through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), life verification and pension statements have already been digitised, while OPTMS will bring the more complex pre-retirement stage into a fully digital process.
Under the system, employees will receive SMS notifications around 11 months before the start of post-retirement leave, enabling them to submit applications, upload documents and track progress online. Welfare officers and sanctioning authorities will process applications through the platform.
Participants at the workshop also discussed challenges related to office mapping, no-objection certificates, manual records, audit objections and legal issues.
They expressed confidence that the OPTMS would help ensure faster, more transparent and citizen-friendly pension services across government institutions.
