Shahabuddin to receive president’s benefits after resignation

The benefits a president of the country receives for life after resigning or completing their term are determined by law. According to the law, they receive various government facilities, including retirement allowance, medical care, and protocol.

These benefits are provided under “President’s Pension, Gratuity and Other Benefits Act, 2016.”. The matter has come into discussion following the resignation of former president Mohammed Shahabuddin on Friday.

According to President’s Pension Ordinance, 1979 (amended on May 2016), if an individual completes a full term in the office of the president or serves for at least six months, they are entitled to a monthly retirement allowance at the rate of 75 percent of their last received salary until death.

The president’s monthly salary is now Tk 1,20,000. Based on the calculation, Shahabuddin will receive a monthly retirement allowance of Tk 90,000 after retirement.

Moreover, as a former president, he will receive one personal assistant and one attendant. He will also be provided with a government-determined annual allowance for official expenses.

According to the law, he can use government vehicles free of charge when participating in official functions. He will also have a telephone connection at his residence and receive the facility of bill payment within government-prescribed limits.

The former president will have medical services equivalent to those of a minister, a diplomatic passport, and the facility of staying without charge at government circuit houses or rest houses during travels within the country.

If a person retires from any other job or position and receives a retirement allowance before assuming the office of President, they will be eligible to receive either that allowance or the presidential retirement allowance, according to their choice.

If a former president dies while receiving the retirement allowance, his widow or, as the case may be, widower will receive a monthly allowance at the rate of two-thirds of the pension they were entitled to for life.

A former president entitled to receive a retirement allowance may also choose to receive a gratuity instead of the retirement allowance. To do this, they must express their intention to receive the gratuity instead of the retirement allowance within one month of the date of becoming eligible.

The amount of the gratuity will be the annual retirement allowance multiplied by the number of years the person held the office of President. In determining the duration of tenure in the presidential office, a partial year will be counted as a full year.

If an individual dies while holding the office of president for more than six months without expressing an intention to receive a gratuity or receiving a retirement allowance, it will be considered that they expressed an intention to receive a gratuity.

In that case, the law said the gratuity money will be received by the nominee or heirs.