A high-level review meeting on the progress, challenges and future action plan of the Universal Pension Scheme was held on Tuesday at the Finance Ministry conference room in the Bangladesh Secretariat, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury.
The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Executive Chairman of the National Pension Authority Dr Md Suratuzzaman, Finance Secretary Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder, and other officials from the Finance Division.
A detailed presentation showed that as of 30 April 2026, a total of 3,77,545 citizens had enrolled in the four pension schemes -Probash, Pragati, Surokkha and Samata. Total deposits in the pension fund stood at around Tk255.70 crore, while including investment profits the amount had increased to Tk279.74 crore.
Officials informed the meeting that nearly 85 per cent of Bangladesh’s workforce remains in the informal sector, while the old-age dependency ratio is expected to rise significantly in the coming decades. Against this backdrop, participants stressed the importance of strengthening and expanding the pension system to ensure long-term social protection.
Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury directed authorities to aim for enrolling at least one member from each of the country’s nearly four crore families by 2030. He also emphasised making the system more attractive through wider inclusion and innovative reforms.
He expressed support for introducing a Shariah-compliant pension option and suggested considering lifetime pension benefits for nominees. He also recommended bringing outsourcing workers under the Pragati scheme.
The meeting was informed that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed a $100 million concessional loan to support strengthening of the pension system, while feasibility studies are ongoing.
Currently, contributions are being collected through banks, financial institutions, mobile financial services such as bKash and Nagad, and via Union Digital Centres nationwide.
The minister stressed the need to build public trust, enhance cyber security, improve outreach, and recruit skilled personnel to ensure effective implementation of the programme.
He urged continued coordinated efforts to expand coverage and improve efficiency of the national pension system.
