Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (Monday) announced that the minimum monthly allowances of the valiant freedom fighters will be raised to Taka 20,000 from the existing Taka 12,000. “I think the current monthly allowance of Taka 12,000 is not enough. . . We will increase the amount to Taka 20,000 bringing the lower slots at one place,” the premier made the announcement while inaugurating the online disbursement of freedom fighters’ allowances. The premier joined the inauguration ceremony virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. The programme was held at Osmani Memorial Auditorium. The electronic fund transfer (Government to Person- G2P) using Management Information System (MIS) will allow the freedom fighters to get their allowances directly to their bank accounts. Sheikh Hasina said the government has introduced this G2P system for freedom fighters’ allowance as the gift of Mujib Borsha. She said from now on, the freedom fighters would receive their allowances directly. Earlier, the freedom fighters used to receive the allowance after every three months through upazila and district level authorities. Regarding the hike of allowances, the Prime Minister said the government needs some time to allocate money for this purpose in the national budget. Hasina said, adding, “But, we will surely do it.” Currently, the families of martyred war heroes are getting Taka 30,000 per month while that of war-wounded ones Taka 25,000. Besides, the families of Bir Shreshtha, the highest gallantry award winners in the War of Liberation, are getting Taka 35,000 while the Bir Uttam are receiving Taka 25,000. In addition, Bir Bikram and Bir Pratik gallantry award winners are receiving Taka 20,000 and Taka 15,000 respectively, while the rest of the freedom fighters are receiving Taka 12,000 per month as honorarium. The Prime Minister noted that except for Bir Shreshtha and Bir Uttam, it is better to bring all the lower three slots at one place because all had participated in the Liberation War. The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs and Bangladesh Muktijoddha Kalyan Trust together will fix it, she added. Liberation war affairs minister A K M Mozammel Haque and secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh also spoke on the occasion. Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah moderated the event. An audio-visual presentation on the War of Liberation and freedom fighters was screened at the outset of the ceremony. At the function, it was revealed that a total of 205,198 freedom fighters and their families have been receiving allowances, and in the last five years Taka 17,000 crore has been spent for freedom fighters’ allowances and others. Now freedom fighters are receiving two festival allowances and Boishakhi allowance alongside monthly allowance. The freedom fighters who are alive, are also receiving victory day allowance. The Awami League government after assuming power in 1996 had introduced a monthly allowance of Taka 300 for destitute freedom fighters. Freedom fighters from Kaliakair upazila of Gazipur district, Fulbari upazila of Kurigram district, Paikegachha upazila of Khulna district, Haimchar upazila of Chandpur district and Borolekha upazila of Moulavibazar district were connected virtually at the function. They expressed their gratitude and feelings after getting the allowance directly to their bank accounts. Source: BSS AH

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced Boishakhi festival allowance and five percent increment for teachers and employees of MPO-listed non-government educational institutions. The Prime Minister made the announcement while distributing cheques for seed money of Taka 100 crore among nine organizations and trust funds at Gonobhaban in the capital on Thursday evening. Reports BSS. Nearly five lakh teachers and employees of the non-government educational institutions like schools, colleges and madrasas under the MPO will get the increment and Boishakhi allowance. About Taka 532 crore will be spent annually for meeting the expenses of the increment, while over Taka 177 crore will be required for providing the Boaishakhi allowance for them, officials concerned said. They said the Finance Division has allocated necessary funds for 2018-19 fiscal years in this regard. Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina handed over the cheques for the seed money amounting to Taka 100 crore to the trust funds and organizations. She donated Taka 10 crore each as seed money to Non-government Educational Institution Teachers-Employees Welfare Trust and the Non-government Educational Institution Teachers-Employees Retirement Benefit Board. Besides, the Fire Service and Civil Defense Welfare Trust and the Cultural Activists Welfare Fund got Taka 20 crore each as the seed money. The Prime Minister also handed over cheques of Taka 10 crore each as seed money to the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award Trust, the Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship Trust and the Bangabandhu Sports Activists Welfare Foundation. Besides, she donated Taka five crore to the Imam-Muazzin Welfare Trust and the Neuro-Developmental Disabled Protection Trust each. Agriculture Minister Begum Matia Chowdhury, Social Welfare Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Science and Technology Minister Architect Yeafesh Osman, Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor, State Minister for Youth and Sports Dr. Biren Shikdar, Deputy Minister Arif Khan Joy, PM’s Principal Secretary Md. Nojibur Rahman and secretaries concerned were present. AH

The cabinet has approved in principle the draft of Bangladesh Labor Act (Amendment) 2018 bringing some changes including keeping provision of festival allowance compulsory for the workers and double compensation for accidental cause. The draft was approved on Monday in the cabinet meeting at the secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair with some important changes in the labor issues. Cabinet Secretary Mohammad Shafiul Alam briefed the newsmen after the meeting. He said, a number of changes were brought in the revised labor act. Of these there are, making festival allowance compulsory for the workers; teenagers can perform work but children cannot; double compensation should be paid if anybody is killed in accident. The labor act of 2006 is active in Bangladesh. It was a matter of much discussion that following demand of different labor organizations and workers associations the labor act was amended in 2013 but that was not appropriate. Following that International Labor Organization (ILO), European Union (EU), international buyers’ alliance and different local and international labor organizations demanded to amend the labor act again. Bangladesh government held discussions with local and international stake holders in this regard. Then the draft labor act was sent to ILO. Considering the observations of ILO a tripartite committee consisting owners, workers and government representatives finalized the draft. Under the conventional law there are provisions to provide one lakh taka compensation to the successor due to accidental death and one lakh 25 thousand taka compensation for the permanent disabled person caused by accident. In the new act the compensations are being made two lakh taka for accidental death and two lakh 50 thousand taka for the permanent disabled person caused by accident. According to the new act, certain person will be fined five thousand taka for employing child laborer. Teenagers from 14 years to 18 years will be able to do light work. Earlier children from 12 years were able to take the opportunity. Trade union was also mentioned in the proposed act. Earlier to do trade union approval of 30 percent workers was needed. It was decreased to 20 percent at present. Earlier to call strike it was needed to take opinion of two-third members. It was decreased to 51 percent at present. To solve cases the time was fixed in the labor court. According to the proposed act verdict should be given within 90 days. If the verdict delivery is not possible within 90 days than it must be given within the next 90 days. The proposed act also directs to ensure maternity welfare facility. Legal action will be taken if it defers. In the proposed act punishment for owners and workers for misbehave was also reduced. The punishment was made one year instead of two years. AH