Staff Reporter :
After months of anticipation, the government has announced the recruitment of 10,219 assistant teachers in government primary schools, marking the beginning of a large-scale hiring process in the country’s primary education sector. The Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) confirmed that the circular was officially published on Wednesday, November 6, initiating the first phase of the long-awaited recruitment.
According to the DPE, this phase covers vacant posts in the Rajshahi, Rangpur, Sylhet, Khulna, Barishal, and Mymensingh divisions.
Recruitment notices for Dhaka and Chattogram divisions will follow in the next phase.
A senior official at the DPE, speaking to the media on Wednesday on condition of anonymity, said all preparations had been completed: “The recruitment notice will be published tomorrow, Thursday, in national newspapers for 10,219 vacant posts.”
The recruitment comes under the newly issued Government Primary School Teacher Recruitment Rules, 2025, which were first introduced by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on August 28.
Subsequently, on August 31, the government formed an eight-member Central Primary School Teacher Recruitment Committee, headed by the DPE Director General, to oversee the process. The committee also includes representatives from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Ministry of Public Administration, the Bureau of Non-Formal Education, and the Public Service Commission.
However, the recruitment notification was delayed due to certain technical errors in the revised rules. These issues were later corrected, and on November 2, the ministry reissued the final version of the recruitment rules.
In the updated rules, candidates with a background in science have been given preference — the phrase “in other subjects” has been replaced with “at least in science and other subjects.” Additionally, the rules stipulate that 80 percent of headteacher appointments will be made through promotion and 20 percent through direct recruitment.
To qualify for promotion, candidates must have at least 12 years of service as assistant teachers, have completed basic training, and hold permanent employment status. For direct recruitment, applicants for both headteacher and assistant teacher positions must possess a bachelor’s or honours degree with at least a second-class or equivalent CGPA from a recognized university.
A third division or equivalent grade at any level of education will disqualify a candidate.
The maximum age limit for direct recruitment to both positions has been fixed at 32 years.
Earlier, on October 28, DPE Director General Shah Rezwan Hayat told that there were around 13,500 assistant teacher vacancies nationwide. “After the issuance of the recruitment rules, we will start the process promptly. The recruitment process will begin in November through the publication of the notification,” he said.
With the publication of the circular, the DPE is now set to begin the long-awaited recruitment process — a move expected to significantly reduce teacher shortages and strengthen the foundation of Bangladesh’s primary education system.
