Non-MPO teachers have ended their hunger strike following Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni's assurance over the issue of monthly pay order (MPO) facilities.
The minister offered them water when a representative team of non-MPO teachers went to her residence in Dhaka's Fuller Road Tuesday night.
Earlier on the same day, Dipu Moni urged the teachers and employees of non-MPO educational institutions to withdraw their ongoing protests, and start going back to work as soon as possible.
She said: “We have already sent the updated list to Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and she [Sheikh Hasina] has already signed it. So, it is final now. Listed institutions will get MPO facilities.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will disclose the updated list of MPO institutions on Wednesday, she added.
The minister mentioned that previously, 1,600 institutions were included in the MPO list.
"We made the list under the 2008 regulation, where several institutions applied for the inclusion into the MPO facilities in phases this year,” Dipu Moni furthered.
The minister also said that they have given priority to the institutions in remote areas.
Dipu Moni informed: “This is a continuous process; therefore, every year we will enlist more eligible institutions.”
Education minister said the MPO affiliated institution must follow proper standard, otherwise the institutions’ MPO facilities may even get revoked.
Earlier, on March 23, thousands of teachers and employees of non-MPO educational institutions went to demonstrate to press home their demands in order to enlist them in the MPO list in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka.
At that time, non-MPO Education Institutions Teachers and Employees Federation stated that they have been organizing programs to attract the government's attention for inclusion into the MPO system for a long time.