Explaining the proposed remuneration hike for the speaker, deputy speaker and members of parliament, the bills said 'increase in the cost of living' is the reason for this.

In case of the others, the bills cited 'changing economic situation' and 'implementation of the national pay scale 2005' as the reasons for proposing the hike.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan piloted the bills proposing remuneration hike for the president, prime minister, ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers.

If passed, their remuneration will increase for the second time during the coalition government's tenure.

Law Minister Moudud Ahmed placed the bills proposing a hike in the remuneration of the speaker, deputy speaker, members of parliament and Supreme Court judges.

All the bills were sent to the standing committee on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for scrutiny, asking it to give reports in three days.

As per the bills, the president's remuneration will rise to Tk 33,400 a month from 23,000 now and that of the prime minister to Tk 32,000 from Tk 22,000.

Ministers' remuneration will be raised to Tk 29,000 from Tk 20,000, state ministers' to Tk 26,100 from Tk 18,000 and deputy ministers' to Tk 24,650 from Tk 17,000.

Remuneration of the chief justice will rise to Tk 30,500 a month from Tk 21,000 now, that of judges of the Appellate Division of the SC to Tk 29,000 from Tk 20,000 and judges of the High Court Division of the SC to Tk 27,000 from Tk 18,500.

For the period from January 1 to June 30 this year (retrospective effect), the chief justice will get Tk 28,125 a month, judges of the Appellate Division Tk 26,750 and judges of the High Court Division Tk 24,875.

As proposed in the bills, the speaker's remuneration will increase to Tk 31,200 from Tk 21,500, deputy speaker's Tk 29,000 from Tk 20,000 and lawmakers' Tk 15,000 from Tk 10,000.

The hike will be effective from July 1 this year.

If the bills are passed, the PM's salary will rise for the seventh time while that of ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers for the ninth time since independence.

Government employees' salaries were hiked on six occasions during this period.

Under the present government, remuneration and privileges of the president, prime minister, ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers were earlier raised in 2003. Lawmakers' remuneration and allowances were also increased the same year.

During the seventh parliament's tenure, the PM's remuneration was increased, keeping other facilities unchanged, while remuneration and other facilities of the ministers were increased.