MPO-listed teachers, staff announce return to classrooms

Teachers and employees from non-government educational institutions under the MPO (Monthly Pay Order) scheme have called off their protest.

Following the government’s decision to increase their house rent allowance by 15 per cent of their basic salary, the teachers and staff announced the withdrawal of their movement at around 2:00 pm today, Tuesday, at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.

Earlier in the day, the ministry of finance sent a letter to the ministry of education confirming the decision to raise the house rent allowance.

Later, Education Adviser CR Abrar handed over a copy of the official order to the leaders of the protesting teachers.

After receiving the government order, Delawar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the MPO-listed Teachers and Employees Nationalisation Forum, said at the Central Shaheed Minar, “We have decided to withdraw all our demonstrations and programmes from this moment. Tomorrow, we will return to our classrooms.”

He further explained that the government has decided to raise the house rent allowance for MPO-listed teachers and employees by 15 per cent.

The new allowance will take effect in two phases with 7.5 per cent (no less than Tk 2,000) being implemented from November this year, and the remaining 7.5 per cent from July 2026.

Delawar Hossain added that as teachers had been away from academic activities for eight days during the protest, educational institutions would remain open every Saturday until the annual examinations to make up for the lost time.

He expressed gratitude to all political parties and organisations, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, NCP, and Islami Andolan Bangladesh, for expressing solidarity with their movement.

Teachers and staff from educational institutions under the MPO scheme had been demonstrating continuously since 12 October with a three-point demand, including an increase in house rent allowance.