POLICE high-handedness towards protesting teachers of secondary schools under the government鈥檚 monthly pay order scheme on October 12 in Dhaka is deplorable. This is especially so as the demands are legitimate. The use of force against the teachers who gathered peacefully to press for overdue pay adjustment reflects both an absence of empathy and a worrying tendency to respond to legitimate grievances with coercion rather than dialogues. Hundreds of teachers began their sit-in in front of the National Press Club, demanding 20 per cent of their basic pay in house rent allowance, Tk 1,500 in medical allowance and an increase in the festival allowance from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of their basic pay. While none from the authorities met them, the police used water cannons, sound grenades and batons to disperse them. Several teachers were injured, three to four were detained and traffic in the surrounding areas had been disrupted for hours. The teachers later regrouped at the Central Shaheed Minar, vowing to continue with their protest until their demands were met. Hundreds of teachers demonstrated again on October 13 at the Shaheed Minar.
The teachers鈥� grievances are not new. Teachers under the MPO scheme have for years demonstrated for fair pay and allowances, but the government鈥檚 response has been limited to piecemeal, inadequate increases. In May, the festival allowance for teachers was increased from 25 per cent to 50 per cent while on September 30, the Finance Division increased the house rent from Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500. Teachers have rejected such token adjustments, arguing that they fail to match the rising cost of living. Their demand for a 20 per cent house rent allowance is not only reasonable but long overdue, especially considering that government schoolteachers now receive 40鈥�45 per cent of their basic salary in house rent, along with Tk 1,500 in medical allowance and 100 per cent in festival allowance. The disparity between MPO teachers and their government counterparts is glaring. Entry-level teachers at non-government secondary schools receive roughly half the gross pay of government teachers, with meagre allowances that have not kept pace with inflation. Meanwhile, delays in the disbursement of retirement benefits compound the hardship of teachers under the MPO scheme as they need to wait for five to six years to receive their dues, despite a court order directing the government to clear retirement benefits in six months of retirement.
Non-government secondary schools educate the majority of secondary students. If the teachers continue to be neglected, the entire education system suffers. The government must, therefore, immediately engage in meaningful negotiations to address the teachers鈥� demands and ensure that retired teachers receive their rightful benefits without delay.