Teachers will march on the Ministry of Education at 11:30am on Thursday to demand MPO enlistment, saying the march will go ahead unless the public circular for MPO applications is published by today. The announcement came on Wednesday (10 June) from the continuous sit-in of teachers of recognised non-MPO educational institutions in front of the National Press Club, held under the banner of the Combined Non-MPO Unity Council — now in its fourth day — and was confirmed in a press release from the organisation.
The release said the sit-in by all recognised non-MPO institutions resumed at 10am on Wednesday in front of the National Press Club, chaired by principal Selim Mia. Speakers said all non-MPO institutions must be brought under MPO immediately, and that it would be unjust for their allocated funds to be spent on other sectors. He said that if the public circular for MPO applications for the technical and madrasa divisions was not published by today, the march on the education ministry would be held at 11:30am on Thursday, 11 June.
Advocate Rafiq Shikder, a member of the BNP’s central executive committee, attended as chief guest and said public expectations of teachers are high, calling on the government to bring all non-MPO institutions under MPO without delay. As special guest, Bangladesh Citizens’ Rights Forum president advocate Shahnaz Akter Ranu said it was a great national shame for unpaid non-MPO teachers to be sitting on the footpath. Technical Teachers-Employees Unity Alliance president principal Zakir Hossain Akand declared solidarity with the demand, and the alliance’s secretary general professor Gazi Harun Or Rashid called for swift MPO enlistment of all non-MPO institutions. The organisation’s chief coordinator, principal Md Nazmus Shahadat Azadi, said: “We have suffered discrimination as non-MPO institutions for 20-25 years. We strongly demand the present government remove this discrimination and grant MPO enlistment quickly.” The programme, moderated by coordinator principal Abdus Salam, was attended by coordinators principal Abtabul Alam, super Farhad Hossain Babul and head teacher Habibur Rahman Babul, principal Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan, principal Mizanul Haque Mamun, lecturer Habibullah and district and upazila leaders from across the country.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report