Around 67,000 applications for retirement benefits submitted by teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions remain pending due to a severe funding shortfall, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon told Parliament on Sunday.
The minister made the remarks on Sunday in response to a starred question tabled in parliament by Gaibandha-5 lawmaker Md Abdul Wares. The session was chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
Wares said retired teachers and employees of private schools, colleges and madrasas had long been suffering financial hardship because of delays in receiving their retirement benefits. He asked whether the government would ensure that such benefits are paid within three to six months of retirement.
In reply, the minister said the government was committed to expediting the payment of retirement and welfare benefits to retired staff of non-government educational institutions.
He said the Retirement Benefit Board currently has around 67,000 pending applications. On average, each retired teacher or employee is entitled to around Tk13 lakh in retirement benefits.
According to the minister, clearing the backlog would require approximately Tk8,710 crore, while the board currently has only about Tk1,300 crore in its fund, leaving a funding gap of Tk7,410 crore.
He also informed Parliament that about 45,000 applications submitted to the Non-Government Educational Institution Teachers and Employees Welfare Trust between August 2023 and 21 June 2026 remain pending. A one-off allocation of around Tk3,150 crore would be required to clear those applications.
The minister said the government had already initiated the process of allocating funds to overcome the financial crises facing both the Retirement Benefit Board and the Welfare Trust.
He added that several administrative measures had also been taken to speed up the disposal of applications, including relaunching software, increasing manpower, expanding online services and introducing the iBAS++ system to transfer funds directly to teachers’ and employees’ bank accounts.
“If the required funds are allocated, it will be possible to clear the current backlog of the Retirement Benefit Board within six months,” the minister said.
He added that the government’s long-term objective is to establish the necessary policy and administrative framework to ensure that future retirees receive their retirement and welfare benefits within three to six months of retirement.
