The advertisements for online applications for bringing non-government educational institutions under Monthly Pay Order (MPO) facilities are likely to be placed beginning Sunday, said sources in the education ministry. The software for the online application process is ready and a trial is going on in this respect in accordance with the MPO Policy 2018. Sources said after the advertisements, the educational institutions would submit their necessary papers and information online.

“Everything is ready for the online application. We hope an advertisement would be placed on Sunday or Monday,” the additional secretary (non-government institutions) of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, Javed Ahmed, told The Independent yesterday (Thursday).

“The authorities of the educational institutions might get about 20 days for completing the applications. After receiving applications, the educational institutions would be selected as per the MPO policy,” he said.

Asked as to the kind of information that would be sought from the educational institutions, the head of the technical committee and also the director-general of the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS) Md Fasiullah said, “The authorities of the educational institutions would upload information relating to the recognition of the educational institutions. The head of the institutions would submit a certificate copy acknowledging that all information submitted is true.”

“We have all information regarding the educational institutions in our database of BANBEIS. We can collect information from the boards about the results of the educational institutions. It will be a very easy process, no-one will be harassed,” he added. The inclusion of the non-government educational institutions under the MPO facilities is a long-pending demand of the teachers and employees of these institutions.

Under the MPO facilities, the teachers and employees of the non-government educational institutions would enjoy a portion of their salaries and other benefits from the government budget.

To realise the MPO facilities, the teachers and employees have organised various agitations at different times and faced hardship. On Wednesday, the teachers and employees suspended their sit-in and hunger-strike  after getting an assurance from the education minister.