Dhaka: The cabinet on Monday approved a proposal for providing pension and allowance for the former presidents of Bangladesh government.

The draft of President’s Pension, Allowance and Other benefits Act was okayed at the regular cabinet meeting held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

After the meeting, cabinet secretary Musharraf Hussain Bhuiyan said according to the act the former presidents will get pensions and other allowances. Presidents, who were punished in criminal cases and who were declared illegal by the apex court for capturing power forcefully, will be kept out the benefits.

All the former presidents of Bangladesh government will come under the act. The heirs of the late former presidents will get the allowance, said the cabinet secretary.

Mosharraf Hossain said the act was ratified in 1979 and amended in 1988. Later the High Court declared the act as illegal. The HC also said government can authorised the act if needed.

He said some amendment is made to the act including translated it into Bangla as it was sanctioned in English earlier.