Non-MPO teachers, staff begin fast unto death
Hundreds of teachers and employees undertook a fast unto death in front of the National Press Club yesterday, seeking listing of their institutions under the governments Monthly Payment Order (MPO) programme. For the last four days, around three to four hundred teachers from non-government secondary schools, madrasas, colleges, vocational and technical institutions across the country, under the banner of Non-MPO Educational Institutions Teachers Employees Federation, have been
staging peaceful demonstrations in front of the National Press Club and Central Shaheed Minar seeking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas intervention in the matter. President of the federation Principal Md. Esharat Ali said, We were compelled to undertake a hunger strike till death as we did not get any response from the government in the past four days. General Secretary of the federation Tapash Kumer Kundu said, More than 1.2 million teachers who teach 20 lakh students have been leading a miserable life for the past five to 20 years as they dont get salaries and other benefits from the government. The Education Minister has repeatedly assured us but we have not seen any true reflection of his words.
Members of the federation, who also spoke on the occasion, took an oath that they would not leave the streets of the capital until their demands had been met and would fast until death. They reiterated that they deserved what they were demanding and the education process in non-MPO institutions would collapse if they didnt get MPO inclusion. Abdur Razzak, President of the Socialist Labour Front which has expressed solidarity with the teachers said, In the present circumstances, government should not say that education is the backbone of the nation, given the huge number of teachers living without eating and in misery. Some 21 lakh employees in different sectors are going to get a significant increase in their salaries however these teachers have been deprived of basic privileges. It does not suit a democratic government to keep these teachers in the dark while offering luxurious lives to others. The teachers have been waiting for the government meet five demands which are: inclusion of their government-approved institutions under MPO facility; index number for non-MPO teachers; counting employment age of teachers from the time the institutions have been approved; no irregularities, partiality, and bribing during MPO enlistment; and no approval of new institutions before completion of inclusion of these old institutions.
