The 50 Per Cent Pension Surrenderers Welfare Association has adopted a fresh action plan to secure what it describes as the legitimate rights of pensioners and to press for implementation of its 10-point set of demands.
The organisation has decided to strengthen its membership base and expand its programmes as part of efforts to make the campaign more effective. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the association’s central convening committee in Mirpur, Dhaka, on Thursday.
The meeting was chaired by association convenor Dr Ruhul Amin Chowdhury and attended by leaders from the central and divisional levels. Participants discussed a range of organisational and strategic issues, with particular attention given to the demand for the return of the remaining 50 per cent of the gratuity surrendered by pensioners.
Association member secretary Engineer MH Rashid, joint convenors Lt Commander Monirul Islam and Shaheen Kamal, policy council member Marjina Khatun, Dhaka divisional convenor Khondkar Abid Ahmed, Professor Zafar Alam, AKM Motaleb Hossain, Md Hafizur Rahman, Md Arzu Mia, Md Abdur Razzaq, Md Zahidur Rahman and Md Anwar Hossain Bhuiyan, among others, addressed the meeting.
The participants discussed possible strategies for pursuing the association’s 10-point demands, including the return of the remaining 50 per cent of the gratuity. They also agreed to intensify membership drives, distribute membership cards and take steps to amend the organisation’s name for registration purposes.
The meeting also considered establishing a fund to support organisational activities and discussed preparations for the association’s next programmes. The leadership believes that expanding the organisation at different levels will help bring more affected pensioners under a common platform and improve coordination in pursuing their demands.
Several changes were also made to the association’s organisational structure. Shaheen Kamal was appointed joint convenor of the central convening committee.
At the Dhaka divisional level, Khondkar Abid Ahmed was appointed convenor, while AKM Motaleb Hossain and Md Hafizur Rahman were named joint convenors. Md Arzu Mia was appointed member secretary of the committee.
Changes were also announced for the Dhaka South and Dhaka North convening committees. Md Anwar Hossain was appointed convenor and Md Anwar Hossain Bhuiyan member secretary of the Dhaka South committee. For the Dhaka North committee, Md Abdur Razzaq was appointed convenor and Md Zahidur Rahman member secretary.
Speaking at the meeting, the leaders said a united movement was essential to securing the long-standing demands of pensioners who had surrendered 50 per cent of their pension benefits. They said the organisation would be strengthened from the central level to the grassroots to pursue the restoration of the remaining 50 per cent of the gratuity and the implementation of the association’s 10-point demands.
The leaders said the association would continue to raise the issues with the relevant authorities through a series of programmes. They also stressed the need for greater participation by pensioners and stronger organisational coordination to sustain the campaign.
The newly appointed leaders were urged to play an active role in expanding the association’s activities, strengthening its organisational base and bringing pensioners together around their demands. The latest decisions are expected to provide a renewed organisational framework for the association as it prepares for its next phase of activities.
