DHAKA : The government has launched an Online Pension Tracking and Management System (OPTMS) to streamline pension services, reduce processing delay and ensure transparency in pension services for retired public servants.

State Minister for Public Administration and Food Md Abdul Bari inaugurated a workshop on the OPTMS at the Ministry of Public Administration in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday, said a press release here today.

Speaking as the chief guest, the state minister said the new digital platform would help remove the long-standing sufferings of pensioners during pension application and sanction processes while enhancing transparency and accountability in public service delivery.

He noted that retired government employees often face delays, procedural complexities and repeated office visits to process pension-related matters.

“Once OPTMS becomes fully operational, pensioners will be able to track and manage their applications digitally, significantly reducing processing time and harassment,” he said.

The workshop was organized by the Scheme on Pension, Fund Management, and Quality and Timeliness of Financial Reporting under the Strengthening Public Financial Management Program to Enable Service Delivery (SPFMS) of the Finance Division.

Abdul Bari said providing government services online without requiring citizens to visit offices physically could become a powerful tool in curbing corruption.

He also raised concerns regarding pensioners who surrendered 100 percent of their pension benefits, saying their families remain ineligible for reinstatement if the pensioner dies before the completion of the 15-year restoration period.

He suggested reviewing the policy to ensure fairness for affected families.

With Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md Ehsanul Hoque in the chair, Finance Division Secretary Dr Md Khairuzzaman Mozumder and Controller General of Accounts S M Rezvi attended the workshop as special guests.

Additional Secretary (Budget-1) and National Program Director of SPFMS Dr Ziaul Abedin delivered the welcome address while the keynote presentation was made by Dr Mahfuza Begum, Program Executive and Coordinator of the pension scheme under SPFMS.

Md Ehsanul Hoque said the absence of a comprehensive database of government employees had long complicated pension sanction procedures.

 Maintaining an updated employee database would significantly simplify pension approvals, he said, adding that a dedicated help desk for pensioners could further facilitate access to services.

Dr Khairuzzaman Mozumder said many government employees become vulnerable after retirement and the OPTMS would strengthen their confidence by ensuring hassle-free pension services.

He said the system would initially be piloted at the Ministry of Public Administration for regular pension cases involving serving employees before being gradually expanded to the Finance Division, the Office of the Controller General of Accounts, other ministries, departments and field-level offices.

The finance secretary also suggested considering the introduction of a “One Rank, One Pension” system to reduce disparities among retirees and strengthen their financial security.

S M Rezvi said substantial progress had already been achieved in post-retirement pension management through digital services. 

He noted that strengthened monitoring mechanisms at the Office of the Controller General of Accounts had improved transparency and accountability in pension administration.

Dr Ziaul Abedin highlighted advancements made through iBAS++, including automation of General Provident Fund (GPF) management, post-pension benefits, asset management, TA/DA processing, Family Card and Farmer Card databases, and the Last Pay Certificate (LPC) module.

He expressed optimism that OPTMS would further streamline pre-retirement pension processing and improve service delivery for employees nearing retirement.

According to the keynote presentation, the OPTMS will enable government employees to submit pension applications online, monitor file movements in real time and complete pre-retirement pension formalities without repeated visits to government offices.

The system will automatically retrieve service records and financial information from iBAS++, reducing manual data entry and minimizing processing errors.

Officials said pension payment through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), life verification and pension statements have already been digitized. 

The OPTMS is expected to integrate the more complex pre-retirement stage into a fully digital workflow.

Under the new system, employees will receive SMS notifications approximately 11 months before the commencement of post-retirement leave, allowing them to submit applications, upload documents and track progress online. Welfare officers and sanctioning authorities will process applications through the platform.

The workshop also discussed challenges related to office mapping, no-objection certificates (NOCs), manual records, audit objections and legal issues. 

Participants expressed confidence that OPTMS would ensure faster, more transparent and citizen-friendly pension services across the government.