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"You have retired from government jobs, but not from your social obligations," she told a delegation of Bangladesh Retired Officers and Employees Welfare Association.

A five-member delegation of the association paid a courtesy call on Khaleda Zia at the Prime Minister's Office yesterday afternoon.

Various activities of the Association and government programmes for retired officers and employees were discussed during the meeting.

The retired officers lauded the government for a new pay scale and inclusion of retired officers and employees for enjoying festival bonus.

Highlighting some of their plans for expanding welfare activities, the association leader sought government assistance in the move.

Government programmes for welfare of the senior citizens also came up for discussion in the meeting. A programme for providing special discount to senior citizens in passenger train services is under consideration of the government, the meeting was informed.

The BNP government has simplified the process of availing pension by a retired public servant and introduced family pension for the spouse after death of a pension holder.

The delegation of employees welfare association comprised former Finance Secretary Kafil Uddin Mahmud, former Cabinet Secretary M Mahbu-uz-Zaman, former Chief Conservator of Forest Abdul Malik Chowdhury, former Public Service Commission (PSC) Member AM Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan and former Additional Secretary M Abdul Quiyum Thakur.