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Published : 13 Oct 2025, 09:27 PM
MPO-registered teachers and staff participating in a continuous sit-in over a 20 percent house rent allowance in salaries have set a deadline for the government to meet their demands by 12pm Tuesday.
The protesters announced a “March to Secretariat” if demands remain unmet by then.
On Monday, the second day of their sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar, the protest continued under the banner of the MPO Education Nationalisation Expectant Alliance.
Habibullah Raju, joint convenor of the alliance and president of the Bangladesh Teachers Forum, said, by Tuesday, the government must issue a gazette notification for 20 percent house rent allowance, Tk 1,500 medical allowance, and 75 percent festival allowance for staff.
“Until the demands are met, the sit-in and work stoppage will continue.”
The demonstrations followed a police crackdown on Sunday. While some private MPO schools observed the work stoppage, many others continued classes.
Delwar Hossain Azizi, secretary of the alliance, said in the morning: “We have information that 90 percent of educational institutions are observing the work stoppage. Some are not, but the MPO education system has largely come to a standstill.”
The protest began Sunday morning in front of the National Press Club. At 1:30pm, teachers moved to the Shaheed Minar at police request, though a group stayed behind, shouting “Fake! Fake!” Police eventually used stun grenades, batons, and water cannons to disperse them.
The government had raised the house rent allowance by Tk 500 on Sept 30, but teachers rejected it upon public announcement on Oct 5 and launched the current movement.
On Oct 6, the education ministry submitted a proposal to increase rent allowance to Tk 2,000–3,000.
MPO teachers are paid according to the national pay scale, receiving Tk 500 medical allowance and Tk 1,500 rent allowance, alongside a 50 percent basic salary festival allowance after the May increase.
