Assistant teachers from private secondary schools in Dhaka, appointed through the latest fifth mass notification by the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA), staged a protest demanding MPO (Monthly Pay Order) inclusion and the removal of Dhaka’s regional deputy director (DD).
These teachers, who have not received their salaries for the past seven to eight months, demonstrated in front of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) in the capital on Monday from 11:30am.
During the protest, the teachers also submitted a written appeal to the education adviser, reiterating their demands.
Md Monirul Islam, assistant head teacher of Hazaribagh Saleha Khatun High School, said: "More than 150 teachers recommended by NTRCA have not received their salaries for seven months. Some of us, including a few assistant head teachers, have been unpaid for eight months.”
He added: “The regional deputy director of Dhaka is not approving our MPO files, citing the 2021 policy, whereas teachers in other regions are receiving their salaries regularly."
The protesting teachers explained that they were recommended for assistant teacher positions in various double-shift and single-shift secondary schools in Dhaka on August 21 last year under the fifth mass notification.
They were appointed between August 22 and September 19 but have yet to be included in the MPO list.
In their written complaint, the teachers mentioned: "Despite seven months passing since our MPO application, our status has not been confirmed. Our files are currently under the supervision of the regional deputy director of Dhaka.”
It also said: “When we seek updates, he directs us to the director general of DSHE, who claims to be unaware of the matter. Attempts to communicate with officials at various levels of DSHE have yielded no results. Meanwhile, teachers from other regions who joined alongside us have been included in the MPO list and are receiving their salaries regularly."
The teachers further alleged in the written complaint: "The regional deputy director (DD) not only avoided giving specific information but also behaved rudely, forcing us out of his room. Many of us were not even allowed to enter his office."
They demanded the immediate removal of the regional deputy director, adding: "We are struggling to survive without pay for seven months in the expensive city of Dhaka. We are clearly victims of discrimination. We earnestly request your (education adviser) intervention to resolve this crisis and urge the prompt removal of the Dhaka regional deputy director (DD)."
