Teachers of MPO-affiliated educational institutions have suspended their ongoing protest after receiving assurances from the government to fulfill their demands, including a universal transfer system, increasing house rent allowance, and medical benefits, and other facilities.
However, they have issued a one-month ultimatum, warning of fresh protests if no visible progress is made by September 13.
The announcement came following a meeting on Wednesday afternoon between representatives of the protesting teachers and Education Adviser Professor CR Abrar at the Secretariat.
Principal Delwar Hossain Azizi, a member of the teachers’ delegation, said, “A committee has been formed during the meeting to decide on the universal transfer system.
“The government has also asked teachers to submit proposals regarding the amount by which house rent should be increased. Once submitted, these proposals will be reviewed for final approval.”
He further noted that the education adviser responded positively to the issue of entertainment allowances, though legal procedures may delay its implementation.
Another teacher representative, Md. Rafiqul Islam, said, “We are placing our trust in the government’s assurances.
“However, if there is no visible progress by September 13, we will launch a half-day work abstention in all MPO-affiliated institutions on September 14, followed by full-day strikes on September 15 and 16.”
Currently, MPO-listed teachers receive a monthly house rent allowance of Tk1,000 and a medical allowance of Tk500. The education ministry has already forwarded a proposal to the finance ministry to double these amounts.
However, following objections from teachers, ministry officials at the meeting indicated that the figures may be further revised upward.
Earlier in the day, thousands of teachers from across the country gathered in front of the National Press Club under the banner of the MPO-affiliated Education Nationalisation Alliance.
The protest severely disrupted traffic from Paltan to the High Court area, prompting the deployment of additional police forces in the area, including near the Secretariat.
At noon, a 10-member delegation of the protesting teachers was invited to the Secretariat for discussions. The government side included Education Adviser Professor CR Abrar and Deputy Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, Syed A Z Morshed Ali.
The teachers’ delegation included Principal Delwar Hossain Azizi, Md. Rafiqul Islam, Zahirul Islam, Md. Abu Taleb Sohag, Abul Bashar, Shanto Islam, Mizanur Rahman, Habibullah Raju, Jahangir Hossain, and Principal Mainuddin Ahmed.
Teachers have long been demanding the nationalisation of all MPO-affiliated schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutes, along with housing and medical allowances at par with government employees, full festival bonuses, universal transfer rights, and recreational benefits.
According to official figures from 2023, Bangladesh has 26,447 MPO-affiliated institutions, employing approximately 380,000 teachers and 177,000 staff members.