Pension authority announces highest 11.6% profit to depositors under Universal Pension Schemes

The National Pension Authority has announced profits ranging from 11.10% to 11.61% on deposits made under its various Universal Pension Scheme for the 2024–25 fiscal year.

The decision was taken at third meeting of the Board of Directors of the National Pension Authority in the meeting room of Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed at the Bangladesh Secretariat yesterday (6 October), reads a press release issued by the Pension Authority.

The meeting was presided over by Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, also chairman of the Pension Board of Directors. Secretaries from the Finance Division and other esteemed members of the Board were present at the meeting.

Md Mahiuddin Khan, executive chairman of the National Pension Authority, presented the agenda topics before the meeting.

Among the most important agenda was the percentage of profit to be provided to the pension subscribers.

The funds deposited by subscribers are invested in different financial instruments, including government bonds, treasury bills, and fixed deposit receipts (FDRs).

The profit earned from these investments is shared among depositors at the end of the fiscal year.

This means that a person who deposited Tk100 under the scheme in the previous financial year will see their balance rise to between Tk111.10 and Tk111.61 by the end of FY2024–25.

The scheme runs on a compound interest system, meaning the profit for the current fiscal year will then be calculated on this updated amount.

An official of the Pension Authority said that the profit rate depends on the duration of an individual's deposits.

As of 30 June 2025, the meeting apprised a total of 373,987 contributors deposited Tk187.97 crore, including the opening balance from FY2023–24.

The profit on the deposited amount for FY25 amounts to Tk16.33 crore.

The Board approved the distribution of profits among contributors based on their respective investment periods. Contributors will be able to view their earned profit using their pension ID and password.

The Board approved an increase in the maximum monthly contribution under the Surakkha Scheme—designed for self-employed individuals—from Tk5,000 to Tk15,000.

The revision aims to make the scheme more attractive to higher-income self-employed participants and align it with the Progoti Scheme.

While the minimum monthly contribution for Progoti is Tk1,000, the Board decided to set a reduced minimum of Tk500 exclusively for outsourced workers to make participation more affordable. However, in this case the whole deposit will be borne by the workers without any contribution from the employer.

The Board also asked the officials concerned to urgently prepare a concept paper based on an actuary analysis to assess the feasibility of introducing an insurance benefit under the pension scheme.

It also discussed launching an Islamic version of the Universal Pension Scheme.

The Pension Authority currently operates four different Universal Pension Schemes, designed to provide long-term financial security for citizens through voluntary contributions.