Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid on Thursday joined party MPs to criticise Finance Minister AMA Muhith in parliament for not releasing funds for the monthly payment order (MPO) for private educational institutes – an incident rarely seen in parliamentary practice.
In parliamentary norms, ministers never criticise their cabinet colleagues as the essence of the Westminster form of government is a collective responsibility of the cabinet.
Making a supplementary question during the scheduled question-answer hour for ministers, Awami League MP Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim said the government had achieved remarkable successes in the educational sector but those successes were “overshadowed by the delay in releasing the money estimated by the education ministry.”
He said the education ministry had estimated an annual expenditure of Tk10bn a year for MPO of 900 teachers of non-government schools, colleges and madrasas.
“Tk1,000 crore [Tk10bn] is a paltry amount against our national budget of over Tk200,000 crore. The finance minister has left – he should have listened to us…Many of the teachers have been starving; so, the finance minister must release the funds. This is the sentiment of the House,” he said.
The attending MPs shouted “yes” in chorus as Sheikh Selim asked them if they wanted the MPOs.
Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury intervened, saying the education minister was answering questions.
Taking the floor, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said: “I express the same view. I am one of you. How can we give MPOs if we are not given any funds?
“Give me funds, I will give the MPOs tomorrow.”
The government provides non-government teachers listed under the MPO with their basic salaries.
