Dhaka, May 15 -- Several major changes have been approved for the universal pension scheme, including a proposal to assess the introduction of an "Islamic version".

These decisions were taken during the second meeting of the National Pension Authority's governing board on Wednesday.

The session, presided over by Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed, resulted in a series of policy shifts, according to a press release issued by the finance ministry.

Key decisions include:

>> Contributors who reach pensionable age and wish to do so will be allowed to withdraw up to 30 percent of their total deposits as a one-time financial benefit.

>> The minimum monthly contribution to the ''Probash" and "Progoti" schemes will be reduced from Tk 2,000 to Tk 1,000....