Bangladesh Government Approves Retirement and Welfare Payments for 119,000 Teachers

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has approved the disbursement of retirement and welfare benefits to around 119,000 teachers and employees, with the distribution programme scheduled to begin on August 15, according to officials.

The Bangladesh government has approved the release of retirement and welfare trust funds for approximately 119,000 teachers and employees, aiming to reduce long-standing delays in benefit payments for retired education personnel.

The decision was approved by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman during a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday to discuss various issues related to the Ministry of Education.

The meeting was attended by Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon, the Prime Minister's Adviser on Education Dr Mahdi Amin, and Abdul Khaleque, Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the Ministry of Education.

According to sources at the Prime Minister's Office, 44,000 teachers and employees will receive payments from the Teachers' Welfare Trust, while 75,000 teachers and employees will receive benefits from the Retirement Benefits Board. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to inaugurate the distribution programme on August 15.

A Prime Minister's Office official, speaking to The Daily Campus on condition of anonymity, said the full amount available under the Welfare Trust may be distributed to eligible teachers and employees.

"The entire Welfare Trust fund may be disbursed to teachers and employees. For the Retirement Benefits Board, it has been decided to provide Tk 500,000 to each beneficiary. The Education Minister is expected to hold a press conference on August 14, when he will provide further details," the official said.

According to information obtained by The Daily Campus, approximately Tk 97.57 billion is required to settle outstanding retirement benefits for 105,644 teachers awaiting payment.

The Ministry of Education said that, as of April, the Retirement Benefits Board had received 59,820 applications, requiring around Tk 71.76 billion to clear the pending claims. Meanwhile, the Teachers' Welfare Trust had received 45,824 applications by March, with an estimated funding requirement of Tk 25.81 billion.

Sources said the Ministry of Education has secured a special allocation of Tk 30 billion in the 2026-27 national budget to help pay retirement benefits for teachers. The Finance Division had initially proposed an allocation of Tk 3 billion, but the ministry ultimately received the larger allocation.

Before the announcement of the 2026-27 national budget, Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milon sent a demi-official (DO) letter to the Finance Division requesting additional funding to address the shortfall in retirement benefit payments. In the letter, he sought Tk 20 billion for the Retirement Benefits Board and Tk 10 billion for the Teachers' Welfare Trust.