Mir Anwar Hossain Tutul, Mirzapur (Tangail) :
More than 50 assistant teachers of government primary schools in Mirzapur Upazila, Tangail, have been deprived of their rightful equalisation pay for the past 18 years, leading to immense financial and emotional distress.
The teachers allege that irregularities, corruption, and manipulation by the Upazila Accounting Officer, Md. Sirajul Islam, are to blame for their prolonged suffering.
According to the affected teachers, despite clear directives from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, they have not received the arrears owed to them.
The teachers have stated that this denial of equalization pay has left them struggling to make ends meet, with many living in near destitution.
The issue stems from a violation of the National Pay Scale 2005, which stipulates that no Junior Assistant Teacher should receive a higher salary than any Senior Assistant Teacher with the same basic pay.
However, the Upazila Education Office and Accounting Office in Mirzapur have allegedly flouted these rules, granting higher salaries to junior teachers while excluding senior teachers from the equalization scale.
An investigation by the Upazila Primary Education Office revealed that 70 assistant teachers joined various government primary schools in Mirzapur in November 2003.
However, the salary and allowances of the senior teachers have been kept lower than those of junior teachers, leading to significant discrepancies.
For instance, teachers like Dewan Mohammad Azad Rahman and Mohammad Delwar Hossain, who joined in June 2003, have been paid less than Mahmuda Khanam, a junior teacher who joined in November 2003.
The aggrieved teachers have repeatedly approached the district primary education office and higher authorities, including the District Accounts Office, Divisional Controller of Accounts Dhaka Division Office, and the Ministry of Finance, but to no avail. Despite these efforts, the Upazila Accounting Officer, Md. Sirajul Islam, has allegedly refused to address the issue, citing “various complications.”
In a written complaint, the teachers claim that the fixation of pay on August 29, 2006, has led to a situation where the basic pay of senior teachers is lower than that of junior teachers. Over the last 18 years, this discrepancy has resulted in financial losses ranging from BDT 1,20,000 to BDT 1,60,000 per teacher.
Efforts to reach the Upazila Education Office for comments were unsuccessful, as the current Duty Assistant Education Officer, Sharmistha Rani Majumder, did not respond to multiple calls. The previous Education Officer, Md. Sharif Uddin, has been transferred to Gazipur.
Md. Sirajul Islam, the Upazila Accounting Officer, has denied the allegations of corruption and stated that the equalization pay cannot be granted due to various complications. He mentioned that he has informed the higher authorities and that the pay might be granted if proper instructions are issued.
The affected teachers are now urgently calling on higher authorities to intervene and ensure that they receive their long-overdue equalization pay, bringing an end to their 18-year ordeal.