A grandfather and his grandson drowned in a pond in Chitalmari upazila of Bagerhat on Thursday (18 September). The incident occurred in Shibpur village.

The victims were identified as Nur Kader Molla, 9, and his grandfather Shahjahan Molla, 80. Locals said the boy drowned while bathing, and his grandfather also went under while trying to rescue him.

Both were taken to Chitalmari Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared them dead. Police confirmed that preparations for burial at the family graveyard are underway.

The government has taken a series of steps to address pension-related complications for retired civil servants, including a proposal to reduce the waiting period for pension restoration from 15 years to 10 years for those who surrendered their full pension.

The decisions were made at a meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid, where retired Additional Secretary A K M Saiful Islam Chowdhury highlighted the problems faced by pensioners.

Under the proposals, if a pensioner dies before restoration, their spouse or legal heirs will be entitled to pension benefits. In case of a second marriage, the surviving spouse will also be eligible for family pension.

The meeting also recommended providing medical assistance from the Government Employees Welfare Board to retired officials suffering from serious illnesses. For expatriate employees, ministries will review procedures to simplify paperwork and formalities.

Other measures include increasing festival allowances for full pension surrenderees, restoring allowances upon reinstatement, and reconsidering monthly pension payments for those who had taken lump-sum withdrawals. The government has also instructed authorities to intensify awareness campaigns about the universal pension scheme.

The Cabinet Division has already communicated these decisions to the Finance Division and relevant agencies. An official from the finance ministry said implementation work has begun.

A panel of experts has proposed holding a national referendum and elections on the same day to implement the July National Charter 2025. The recommendation may be forwarded to the government by the National Consensus Commission, its vice-chair Professor Ali Riaz said on Wednesday (September 17).

Speaking to reporters after discussions with political parties, Riaz explained that the expert panel suggested enacting a “constitutional order” covering key constitutional reforms. This order would be presented to the public for approval through a referendum held alongside the next national elections.

According to the proposal, if the referendum secures public support, the constitutional order will be considered valid and take effect from the date of its announcement, with the possibility of retroactive enforcement.

Riaz added that political parties have agreed in principle to implement non-constitutional reforms through ordinances or executive orders. However, consensus on constitutional reforms has not yet been finalized.

While some political parties welcomed the proposal, others expressed reservations and requested more time to narrow down alternative suggestions. The commission expects to finalize a comprehensive recommendation and submit it to the government by early October.