NN Online:
The Ministry of Education has proposed doubling the house rent and medical allowances for teachers under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme, amid ongoing protests demanding the nationalisation of private educational institutions.
According to the proposal sent to the Finance Ministry, the house rent allowance—currently Tk 1,000—would rise to Tk 2,000, while the medical allowance would increase from Tk 500 to Tk 1,000.
The plan was discussed on Wednesday, August 14, during a meeting between education ministry officials and leaders of the MPO-affiliated Education Nationalisation Alliance, confirmed by both teacher representatives and ministry sources.
However, the move has failed to satisfy the protesting teachers, who say fixed-rate allowances do not reflect real living costs or match government employee benefits. They demand house rent be calculated as a percentage of basic pay—currently 50–65% in Dhaka, 40–60% in district towns, and 35–55% in rural areas for government staff.
“Why should we be treated differently?” asked one teacher leader. “We do the same work, but are denied equal benefits. Flat rates don’t solve the inequality.”
The MPO scheme, which partially funds salaries for private institution staff, covers 26,447 institutions nationwide, employing around 380,000 teachers and 177,000 non-teaching staff, according to BANBEIS 2023 data.
Teachers warn that unless structural reforms—such as full nationalisation or equal benefit parity—are implemented, their agitation will continue despite the proposed allowance hike.
