State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment and President of Gono Odhikar Parishad, Nurul Haque Nur, has proposed increasing the monthly salaries of Members of Parliament (MPs) to Tk 5 lakh and ministers to Tk 10 lakh to reduce corruption and ensure financial capacity for public representatives to perform their duties.
He made the proposal while addressing an event as the chief guest at the National Press Club on Friday, organised by the Bangladesh Government Officers and Employees Welfare Association.
Nurul Haque Nur said a lawmaker currently receives a basic salary of around Tk 55,000 and earns approximately Tk 170,000 in total with various allowances. Ministers’ salaries are also close to this amount, he added. However, elected representatives often face additional financial pressure while providing support for healthcare, education, sports and other social activities in their constituencies.
He said the current salary structure is inadequate compared to the realities of their responsibilities.
Nur said it becomes difficult for lawmakers without personal wealth to carry out their duties with the existing salary. This, he added, can create risks of earning money through unethical means or becoming involved in corruption. Therefore, realistic and respectable salaries and allowances are necessary to prevent corruption.
He also said representatives who remain closely connected with the public need to regularly visit their constituencies. However, poor road conditions in many areas increase the risk of accidents while travelling in small vehicles. Many MPs also cannot afford to buy personal vehicles like Prado SUVs or similar safer cars.
Nur proposed that MPs should be provided with government vehicles during their tenure, which would be returned to the government transport pool after completing their five-year term. He said lawmakers should receive such facilities like secretaries and other government officials.
Citing Singapore and Malaysia as examples, the state minister said good governance has become easier to establish in those countries because they increased salaries of government officials and public representatives while maintaining a strict stance against corruption.
Referring to recent government measures, he said some facilities, including duty-free car imports and plot allocations for lawmakers, have already been cancelled. However, he suggested that each MP could be provided with a government vehicle for official duties, which would be returned to the transport pool after five years.
Nur also spoke about the new pay scale at the event, expressing hope that the recently announced pay scale for government employees would be implemented soon.
Emphasising the importance of improving public services, he said ordinary citizens suffer the most when visiting government offices. He added that service quality can be significantly improved without additional spending through sincerity and coordinated efforts by officials and employees.
The state minister also highlighted a new government initiative for expatriates, saying the government will soon introduce an “Expatriate Card” to reduce harassment of migrant workers. Cardholders will receive priority access to various government services.
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