Salary of speaker, deputy speaker set to double

With the proposal for increasing salary and other related benefits of the speaker and deputy speaker to almost double, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016 was placed in parliament today.

Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Haque placed the bill with the proposal for raising the salary and other benefits in line with the eight pay scales for the government employees.

According to the draft in an amended form, the salary of Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) will be Taka 1,12,000 instead of Taka 57,200 and the salary of Deputy Speaker will be raised to Tk 1,05,000 from Tk 53,100.

Besides, expenditure allowances, house allowances in case of private houses, insurance coverage, travel allowances, daily allowances and discretionary fund and other allowances of those concerned have also been proposed to increase.

The salary and other benefits including, bonus and allowances were fixed earlier as per the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker (Remuneration and Privileges) Act, 1974.

On September 7 in 2015, the cabinet approved the draft of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker (Remuneration and Privileges) (Amendment) Bill, 2016 saying that the salaries would be effective from July 1, 2015 and the allowances from July 1, 2016.

The House, with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair, sent the bill to the concerned parliamentary standing committee for scrutiny and asked to report back by seven days.