Teachers sit-in in front of Press Club for three-point demand, road blocked
Rejecting the decision to raise the house rent allowance by only 500 taka, teachers and staff of MPO-listed non-government educational institutions have launched a continuous sit-in in front of the National Press Club, pressing a three-point demand that includes a house rent allowance equivalent to 20 per cent of the basic salary (with a minimum of 3,000 taka).
Thousands of teachers and staff from across the country have joined the programme. Due to the large gathering, vehicular movement in front of the National Press Club has come to a standstill.
This programme is being held today, Sunday, under the banner of the “MPO-Listed Education Nationalisation Aspirants Alliance.” The demonstrating teachers say they will not halt their protest until their demands are met. Their other two demands are to raise the medical allowance to 1,500 taka for both teachers and staff, and to set the festival allowance for staff at 75 per cent.
On 30 September, the finance division approved raising the house rent allowance for MPO-listed teachers and staff by 500 taka, increasing it from 1,000 taka to 1,500 taka. Teachers objected, saying that an increase of just 500 taka in house rent allowance is a humiliation for teachers. They are demanding a house rent allowance of at least 20 per cent of the basic salary (with a minimum of 3,000 taka).
Sources at the Ministry of Education have said that on 7 August, Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar (CR Abrar) sent a semi-official letter to Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.
In the letter, he reminded him of the ministry’s February request to increase the house rent allowance for MPO-listed teachers and staff from 1,000 to 2,000 taka, and to raise the medical allowance from 500 to 1,000 taka. The letter also mentioned the need to increase the festival allowance for staff. It further stated that, altogether, an additional 76.33 billion taka (769 crore 33 lakh taka) would be required in the 2025–26 fiscal year budget to meet these demands.