Bangladesh hikes housing allowance for MPO teachers amid hunger strike

The rate is set at 5 percent of their basic salary or a minimum of Tk 2,000

The government has once again raised the house rent allowance for teachers and employees of educational institutions under the monthly pay order (MPO) scheme, setting it at 5 percent of their basic salary or a minimum of Tk 2,000.

The hike was announced in an office order issued by the finance ministry on Sunday against the backdrop of an ongoing hunger strike by disgruntled teachers.

All financial rules and regulations must be followed in providing the allowance, and in case of any irregularities, the bill-paying authority will be held responsible, the order said.

Earlier, on Sept 30, the government had raised the house rent allowance for MPO-listed teachers and staff by Tk 500, taking it from Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500. However, the "Alliance for Nationalisation of MPO-Listed Educational Institutions" rejected the decision and called for protests.

Since Oct 12, teachers and employees have been holding sit-ins at the National Press Club and Central Shaheed Minar, along with long marches toward the Secretariat and blockades at Shahbagh intersection as part of their protest programme.

Following discussions on Thursday, Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar proposed setting the house rent allowance at 5 percent of the basic salary or a minimum of Tk 2,000.

However, teachers and employees rejected the proposal and declared that they would continue their movement until their full set of demands was met.

On Saturday, the seventh day of the protest, they held a “black flag procession” from the Central Shaheed Minar and demonstrated near the Kadam Fountain outside the High Court.

A section of the protesters has been continuing a "hunger strike unto death" at the Shaheed Minar. On Sunday, they announced a new programme, “March to Jamuna”, destined for the chief advisor's official residence.

Their demands include increasing the house rent allowance to 20 percent of their basic salary, an increase in medical allowance from Tk 500 to Tk 1,500, and a raise in festival allowances for MPO-listed staff from 50 percent to 75 percent of basic salary.

MPO-listed teachers and staff receive salaries under the national pay scale. Along with their basic salary, they currently receive Tk 500 per month as a medical allowance. Previously, they received Tk 1,000 as a house rent allowance, which was increased and has now been set at 5 percent of the basic salary or a minimum of Tk 2,000.

Earlier, MPO-listed teachers received two annual festival allowances each at 25 percent of basic salary. Following an increase in May, they now receive festival allowances amounting to 50 percent of their basic pay.