Teachers on strike unmoved by assurances from Education Minister Nahid

Teachers on hunger strike to demand government pay have continued their protest despite assurances from Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid that he received the finance minister’s consent to sign up approved educational institutions for the monthly pay order or MPO.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 2 Jan 2018, 05:31 AM
Updated : 2 Jan 2018, 07:04 AM

Binoy Bhushan Roy, general secretary of non-MPO Educational Institution Teacher-Staff Federation, said the strike would continue until a date was specified for inclusion on the MPO list.

Several hundred teachers from across the country have gathered in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka since Dec 26 to demand that state-sanctioned institutions be included on the pay list. They started a hunger strike on Sunday.

The education minister went to the site of the protest in an attempt to break the strike around 11am on Tuesday. He was accompanied by Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Md Sohorab Hossain.

Nahid said he had finally received a consent from Finance Minister AMA Muhith after several attempts.

“He gave me assurances that steps would be taken for MPO inclusion,” he said. “A policy has to be drawn up.”

The protesting teachers began shouting at the minister, asking when such a policy would be adopted. Some demanded that the MPO inclusion begin at the start of this year. The teachers vowed not to budge until their demand is met.

Amid the commotion the education minister said it would take time to finalise the policy for MPO inclusion, but that it was a big step forward to receive the permission.

The minister called on the teachers to return home and left the scene.

Protest leader Roy spoke after Nahid had left. 

“We reject the education minister’s speech,” he said.  “He has not been able to give us any specific assurances. We will continue our hunger strike until the prime minister assures us that our demands will be met.”