Teachers and staff of MPO-listed educational institutions across the country have rejected the government’s recently announced increase in house rent allowance, calling it “insufficient and unrealistic.”
In protest, the teachers have called for a mass rally in Dhaka on Sunday (12 October), in front of the National Press Club, where organisers say an announcement of an indefinite work abstention could be made.
Leaders of the protest say they will launch a continuous sit-in if the government does not meet their demand for a 20% house rent allowance and a corresponding increase in medical benefits based on their basic salary.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Delwar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the “MPO-Listed Education Nationalisation Alliance,” criticised the government’s decision to increase the house rent allowance by only Tk 500, calling it “nothing short of an insult to teachers.”
“Given the current cost of living, Tk 500 doesn’t even cover a day’s groceries for a family. We reject this decision outright,” Azizi said. “We reiterate our demand to raise the house rent and medical allowances to 20% of the basic salary and Tk 1,500 taka respectively.”
He added that teachers from across the country have already begun arriving in Dhaka and that Sunday’s gathering could mark the beginning of a nationwide indefinite strike.
“If the government fails to issue a revised circular addressing our demands before then, we will begin a non-stop sit-in protest,” Azizi warned.
Earlier, on 13 August 13, the alliance had organised a rally at the same location to press for a 20% house rent allowance and a universal transfer policy for teachers. Besides, on 14 September, they observed a half-day work abstention across the country and full-day work abstention and rallies in divisional cities from 15 to 16 September.
