Teachers are finding themselves on the margins of government service in their old age.
Perspiring profusely, a retired school teacher was found waiting at Nilkhet’s MPO Teachers’ Retirement Benefit Board office in Dhaka city yesterday.
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, 60-year-old Mofizul Islam said, “I applied for my retirement benefits in 2008, but still haven’t received them.
“I have been visiting the board office for six years, and am now tired. Today I came to speak directly with Member Secretary Prof Asadul Haque,” he said.
As it was 3:30pm, he said, “It seems that this is another wasted day.”
“Two of my brothers who went abroad as workers instead of studying are now in better positions, compared to me,” he said, ruing his education.
“I have been visiting this office every week for the last couple of months,” he added.
This is not a one-off incident. He elaborated, “Like me, many others are facing harassment in withdrawing their retirement benefits.”
A teacher, seeking anonymity, said, “Except retired teachers who have strong recommendations, everyone else has to pay bribes here, or else they are harassed.”
Employees here often misbehave with the teachers for asking them about their applications or retirement benefits.
A school teacher’s relative, who came from Tangail to collect the benefit cheque, said, “A third class employee asked for Tk 1000 as a bribe.”
Sumon Sutradhar, son of a headmaster from Noakhali, said, “My father died of cancer in January this year. We had applied for the pension when my father was ill.”
“We even informed the authorities of how much we needed the money when my father was ill, but nothing happened,” he said.
A teacher, asking an official about the whereabouts of his file, was asked to contact them three years later.
“Come here after three years because there is no point for you to come here before that time,” came the response.
Member Secretary Prof Asadul Haque could not be reached on the phone.
Early in the week, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told a programme that the sufferings of the teachers in getting their retirement benefits have lessened and that they are trying to make it easier for teachers.