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Published : 25 Oct 2025, 07:03 PM
Following a strike demanding the nationalisation of private schools and colleges, several MPO-listed education institutions are holding classes on Saturday to make up for students’ lost lessons.
On Saturday, teachers and staff said the move is aimed at addressing learning gaps and preparing students ahead of the annual exams.
“Due to the Central Shaheed Minar protests, schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutions across Bangladesh did not conduct classes for eight days, causing some loss to students,” said Delawar Hossain Azizi, secretary of the MPO teachers’ alliance for nationalisation, the group leading the movement.
“To recover this loss and repay the nation’s debt, on our alliance’s call, schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutions across the country are running full-fledged classes even on Saturdays. Classes will continue in private institutions on Nov 1, 8, and 15 ahead of annual exams.”
In Pabna’s Khalilpur High School, classes were held on Saturday, with assistant teacher Md Habibullah Raju saying: “Student participation was comparatively low, but we are satisfied.”
Other institutions holding Saturday sessions included Abdul Matin Khasru Mohila Degree College in Brahmanpara, Cumilla; Sandalpur Bharat Chandra High School in Baniachong, Habiganj; Kajkamta Ashrafia Alim Madrasah in Barura, Cumilla; Adarsha Secondary School in Nesarabad, Pirojpur; Goalbathan High School in Kazipur, Sirajganj; Sugandhia Muslim Secondary School, Jhalokathi; and Melandah Umir Uddin Pilot High School in Melandah, Jamalpur, among others.
Conversely, institutions whose staff did not join the strike remained closed on Saturday.
Mejbahul Islam Prince, teacher at Bashabo branch of Model School and College in Dhaka, said: “Classes were held during the strike in our institution. Following that continuity, the school and college branches were closed on Saturday.”
MPO-listed teachers receive salaries under the national pay scale, plus Tk 500 medical allowance and a house rent allowance previously increased from Tk 1,000 to 1,500 during the strike period.
Their protests, which started on Oct 12, at Shaheed Minar, demanded higher rent, medical, and festival allowances.
After government concessions on Oct 16 and 21, including increasing the house rent allowance to 15 percent of basic salary, the teachers withdrew their strike and resumed classes.
