Former education advisor says MPO teachers to get allowance increase from Eid-ul-Azha

Wahiduddin Mahmud, who just stepped aside from the position of education advisor, has delivered hope to MPO teachers, saying their allowances will be increased from Eid-ul-Azha.

On Wednesday, Wahiduddin handed over the duties of education advisor to CR Abrar at the Secretariat.

Later he said, "We'll be able to increase their festival bonus, house rent, and medical allowance at least by a bit from next year’s budget.”

“I’m not announcing here by how much. But I know because that much is within... the budget for this year and next year,” he said.

“A fund for teachers’ retirement and welfare allowances has been raised to some extent this year. The next budget will have more for it.”

“But one or two budgets [allocations] won’t be enough to make the whole fund automatically sustainable; we’ll need three or four budgets. Hopefully it will be sorted out in the future.”

Wahiduddin said teachers recruited centrally suffer due to low pay. An online transfer process for private school and madrasa teachers under the monthly pay order, or MPO, scheme would be introduced, he said.

The former education advisor’s words come at a time when the MPO teachers are into their fourth week of demonstrating over a 100 percent festival allowance, permanent jobs under MPO scheme and house rent and medical allowance at the same rate as government employees.

The protesters stressed that if 100 percent festival allowance was not delivered in the coming Eid-ul-Fitr, they would boycott the SSC and equivalent examinations and “offer Eid prayers at the chief advisor’s residence Jamuna”.

An organisation named MPO-Bhukto Shikkha Jatiyakaran Protyashi Jote or Alliance seeking nationalisation of the MPO-listed educational institutions is leading the movement.

Delawar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the organisation, said the teachers’ alliance would march towards the Secretariat on Thursday again.

He said, “We will stage a 24-hour sit-in outside the National Press Club until our demands are met. Regardless of attendance, we are continuing the protest 24 hours. We are fasting today after having Sehri at Press Club last night.”