Women will be entitled to full paid maternity leave even if they join the government service for the first time with their infant under the age of six months.
This provision has been added in sub-section 1 of section 197 of the Public Service Rules (Volume 1).
A gazette notification was issued in this regard by the Regulation-1 branch of the Regulation Division of the Finance Department of the Ministry of Finance.
The circular signed by Golam Mostafa of the finance department said that a woman who joins the government service with a child under the age of six months can take maternity leave till her child is six months old.
Exercising the power of Article 133 of the Constitution, the President has brought this amendment in the rules of service after consulting with the Public Service Commission.
The duration of maternity leave was extended earlier, on January 9, 2011 from four months to six months. The new amendment provides opportunities for newly appointed mothers to get the full paid maternity leave.
It may be mentioned that women working in government service get full paid maternity leave twice in their working life.
