B Mirror Report: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed to providing a US$100 million soft loan to support the strengthening and expansion of Bangladesh’s Universal Pension System (UPS), officials said. A feasibility study for the proposed financing is currently underway.

The commitment was disclosed at a high-level meeting held on Tuesday afternoon at the Finance Minister’s office, chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

The meeting was attended by the Executive Chairman of the National Pension Authority Dr. Surattuzzaman, senior officials of the authority, Finance Secretary Dr. Khairuzzaman Majumder, and other senior officials of the Finance Division.

During the presentation, the National Pension Authority reported that a total of 377,545 citizens had registered under four pension schemes Probashi, Pragati, Suraksha, and Samata as of April 30, 2026.

It also said total deposits in the pension fund stood at around Tk 25.57 billion, while total investments, including gains, reached Tk 27.97 billion.

Officials noted that nearly 85 per cent of Bangladesh’s total workforce is employed in the informal sector, highlighting the need for broader pension coverage. They also pointed out that the elderly dependency ratio is projected to rise significantly from 9.4 per cent in 2023 to 24 per cent in 2050 and 48 per cent in 2075 underscoring the urgency of expanding and strengthening the universal pension framework.