With Pahela Baishakh just around the corner, public servants are cheering as they received a modest festival bonus. But had it been the case for millions of others employed in the diverse private sector, the joy of the Bangla New Year celebration would have been greater.
For the second straight year, 1.4 million public officials and staff have received the Baishakhi bonus, which is one-fifth of their basic salaries.
Public servants that constitute five percent of the country’s working population received the bonus last week. Besides, officials and staff of autonomous bodies and state-owned banks are also getting the money.
The overwhelming majority of the employees in the private sector are not so lucky, with a handful of exceptions. About 95 percent of the total workforce is in the private sector.
There are 57 banks in the country, most of them private.
Private banks made an operating profit of around Tk 17,520 crore last year, yet most of them do not give their staff Baishakhi bonus. There are, of course, a few exceptions like Islami Bank, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Prime Bank, and South Bangla Agriculture and Commerce Bank.
Moniruzzaman, vice-president of Prime Bank, said, “We are happy that our bank has introduced the bonus. If other banks introduce it, all can share the joy.”
However, the banks that are yet to give their staff Baishakhi bonuses have their “reasons”.
“Our employees are well paid and they get several bonuses each year. If we have to give them Baishakh allowance, it will be adjusted with their other bonuses,” said Shafiqul Alam, managing director of Jamuna Bank.
Authorities of Pubali Bank, the largest bank in terms of branch network, echoed the views of Jamuna Bank.
Anis A Khan, managing director of Mutual Trust Bank and chairman of Association of Bankers Bangladesh, said their staff are highly paid and they get several bonuses.
Mobile phone operators have been making hefty profits every year but they have not yet introduced the new bonus for their employees.
Quazi Mohammad Shahed, chief human resource officer of the country’s largest mobile phone operator Grameenphone, said “Baishakhi bonus” is not a mandatory reward element by legislation, hence Grameenphone has not introduced it as “our other bonuses are competitive and many other companies don’t have equivalent bonuses in their reward portfolio”.
The government has directed all educational institutions throughout the country to celebrate Pahela Baishakh, the first day of the Bangla calendar.
Shafiul Azam, headmaster of Bamankhali High School in Satkhira’s Kalaroa upazila, told The Daily Star that this year’s Pahela Baishakh is on a Friday, the weekend. Yet, he has asked his colleagues to be present on the day.
Teachers of the MPO-listed school would turn up, but unlike government school teachers, they are not getting the festival bonus.
Journalists portray happiness and suffering of the people. Even this Baishakh, they would write pieces and air programmes highlighting the celebration of the Bangla New Year with great fervour, but only a few media houses have so far introduced Baishakhi bonus.
Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu said the board that fixes wages for journalists would determine whether Baishakh festival allowance would be included in the next wage board.
“It won’t be right to make a comment in this regard not being in the board,” he said.
Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul, president of a section of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), said some media outlets have already started giving this allowance after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a call to the media last year to do so.
He said the Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) has already urged all the media houses to give this allowance.
Pahela Baishakh is one of the biggest cultural festivals for Bangalees, bringing people together in a festivity of cultural practices deeply rooted in secular ethos. The nation welcomes the first day of Bangla year amid traditional fanfare and festivity, which is celebrated with grandeur and colours.
Source: The Daily Star
