Rise in retirement age on cards

The government is planning to raise the retirement age of its employees by 2 years. For the government employees who are freedom fighters, the retirement age will be made from the current 60 years to 62 years, in accordance with a court verdict. The retirement age of other incumbent government employees would be raised to 61 years from the existing 59 years, according to sources in the public administration ministry.
The public administration ministry is preparing two different proposals in this connection. These proposals are likely to be placed at the Cabinet meeting soon, the sources added.
Additional secretary (APD) of the public administration ministry told The Independent that  they are discussing the matter of raising the retirement age of the freedom fighter government employees as per the court verdict, but they are yet to take any decision in this regard.
He said the court advised them to raise the issue before the Cabinet meeting and they will do so in accordance with the decision of the authorities concerned.
Senior secretary of the public administration ministry, Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, said they have received the court direction in this regard and action would be taken as per rules.
The Cabinet secretary, Mohammad Shafiul Alam, told this correspondent that the public administration ministry is working on this.
“We will place the proposal in this regard before the Cabinet meeting after receiving it from the public administration ministry,” he said.
A secretary of a ministry informed this correspondent on condition of anonymity that the government should not increase the retirement age of the freedom fighter government employees, and even the serving government employees.
“If the government does increase the retirement age of the employees, it would create impediments for the entry of new employees, creating frustration among them,” he said.
On November 16, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict that ordered placing a proposal before the Cabinet for increasing the retirement age of freedom fighters from 57 to 65 in government jobs.
Sources said the Public Service Retirement Act (Amendment) would be amended if the retirement age of government employees is increased.
Secretaries and additional secretaries on the verge of retirement may welcome it, but others, including mid-level officials, are likely to resent the decision.
Junior and mid-level officials claimed that if the government does raise the retirement age of government officials, it would create disaffection in the civil administration. The government would be seen as rewarding secretary-level officials.
Junior and mid-level officials argued that the government’s decision would block their promotions, and fresh recruitments would get stalled in all government offices, including the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Sources said that in 2000, Shamsul Haque, former secretary and chief of the administrative reforms committee, recommended that the retirement age of government employees should be raised from 57 to 59.
On January 14, 2015, the High Court passed the order to extend the retirement age of freedom fighters to 65 from 57 years.
In 2006, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed raising the retirement age of freedom fighters in government jobs from 57 to 65 years.
On November 22, 2012, Sheikh Hasina had increased the retirement age of the freedom fighter employees to 60 years from 59. After this, retirement age of the serving employees was increased from 57 years to 59.

Rise in retirement age on cards

The government is planning to raise the retirement age of its employees by 2 years. For the government employees who are freedom fighters, the retirement age will be made from the current 60 years to 62 years, in accordance with a court verdict. The retirement age of other incumbent government employees would be raised to 61 years from the existing 59 years, according to sources in the public administration ministry. The public administration ministry is preparing two different proposals in this connection. These proposals are likely to be placed at the Cabinet meeting soon, the sources added. Additional secretary (APD) of the public administration ministry told The Independent that they are discussing the matter of raising the retirement age of the freedom fighter government employees as per the court verdict, but they are yet to take any decision in this regard. He said the court advised them to raise the issue before the Cabinet meeting and they will do so in accordance with the decision of the authorities concerned. Senior secretary of the public administration ministry, Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, said they have received the court direction in this regard and action would be taken as per rules. The Cabinet secretary, Mohammad Shafiul Alam, told this correspondent that the public administration ministry is working on this. We will place the proposal in this regard before the Cabinet meeting after receiving it from the public administration ministry, he said. A secretary of a ministry informed this correspondent on condition of anonymity that the government should not increase the retirement age of the freedom fighter government employees, and even the serving government employees. If the government does increase the retirement age of the employees, it would create impediments for the entry of new employees, creating frustration among them, he said. On November 16, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld a High Court verdict that ordered placing a proposal before the Cabinet for increasing the retirement age of freedom fighters from 57 to 65 in government jobs. Sources said the Public Service Retirement Act (Amendment) would be amended if the retirement age of government employees is increased. Secretaries and additional secretaries on the verge of retirement may welcome it, but others, including mid-level officials, are likely to resent the decision. Junior and mid-level officials claimed that if the government does raise the retirement age of government officials, it would create disaffection in the civil administration. The government would be seen as rewarding secretary-level officials. Junior and mid-level officials argued that the governments decision would block their promotions, and fresh recruitments would get stalled in all government offices, including the Bangladesh Secretariat. Sources said that in 2000, Shamsul Haque, former secretary and chief of the administrative reforms committee, recommended that the retirement age of government employees should be raised from 57 to 59. On January 14, 2015, the High Court passed the order to extend the retirement age of freedom fighters to 65 from 57 years. In 2006, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed raising the retirement age of freedom fighters in government jobs from 57 to 65 years. On November 22, 2012, Sheikh Hasina had increased the retirement age of the freedom fighter employees to 60 years from 59. After this, retirement age of the serving employees was increased from 57 years to 59.