Dhaka, May 12 -- The Universal Pension Scheme has seen a dramatic collapse in momentum following the fall of the Awami League government, with new registrations effectively drying up over the last 20 months.

Data presented at a government meeting on Tuesday showed that while the scheme attracted 372,401 subscribers during its first year of operation, that number has grown by a mere 5,144 in the nearly two years since.

As of Apr 30, 2026, the total number of citizens registered across the four primary packages -- Probash, Progoti, Surokkha, and Shomota -- stands at 377,545.

Launched by the Sheikh Hasina administration on Aug 17, 2023, the scheme was initially marketed as a transformative social safety net.

The pace of enrolment, howeve...