Teachers back home following PM’s assurance

The non-MPO teachers have called off their hunger strike following assurance from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Acting president of Non-MPO (Monthly Payment Order) Educational Institutions Teachers Workers Federation Principal Golam Mahmudunnabi Dollar declared the calling off the hunger strike on Friday.

The organization members were staging hunger strike in front of National Press Club.

Earlier, Prime Minister’s Personal Secretary Sajjadul Hasan came to the press club following direction from the premier. He said, Prime Minister has given assurance for enlisting the non-MPO teachers for MPO coverage. Prime Minister has directed me to reach her message to you. She has requested you to call off the hunger strike and go back to your homes.

Education Secretary Md. Sohrab Hossain said that Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid informed the Prime Minister about hunger strike of the non-MPO teachers. Prime Minister has directed Education Ministry to initiate the process of enlisting the teachers under MPO coverage. Later the Education Secretary help the teachers to call off their hunger strike by offering water.

President of the teachers’ organization Golam Mahmudunnabi Dollar said, we are glad over the assurance of the Prime Minister. We had a belief that she would make response to us. We are going back to our respective homes following her assurance.

The non-MPO teachers are holding demonstration for the last one and half year demanding their MPO enlistment. They submitted memorandum in different times to the Prime Minister and Education Minister along with programs of hunger strike unto death and stage in strike. But there was no allocation in the budget of 2016-17 and 2017-18 fiscal year for additional wages or for enlisting non-MPO teachers under MPO coverage.

For this reason the non-MPO teachers took their position in front of National Press Club from December 26. Education Minister also urged them to go back to their homes. But they rejected the proposal and began hunger strike unto death from December 31.

The non-MPO teachers said that they are performing the teaching activities for the last 10 to 15 years without salaries. They are now living a miserable life. As well as they could not maintain the quality of education.

General Secretary of the organization Binaybhushan said, most of the educational institutions of the country are based on nongovernment management. About five to six thousand institutions are in waiting list of getting enlisted as MPO. More than 80 thousand teachers and workers are engaged in teaching of more than 20 lakh students in these educational institutions.

AH