Staff Reporter :
Teachers and staff of private educational institutions under the Monthly Payment Order (MPO) system are set to receive 50 percent of their basic salaries as a festival allowance during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, following a recent government decision.
Currently, these MPO-listed employees receive a 25 percent Eid bonus. The proposed increase will require an additional allocation of Tk229 crore, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Data from the Secondary and Higher Education Division (SHED) under the Ministry
of Education indicates that 398,068 teachers and staff are currently employed at MPO-listed non-government institutions across the country.
The MPO scheme, introduced to support non-government educational institutions, involves the government covering the full basic salary and several monthly allowances of eligible teachers and staff. Inclusion in the scheme depends on criteria such as infrastructure quality, student enrolment, and academic performance.
Following the fall of the Hasina administration in August last year, MPO-affiliated educators have continued their protests, demanding nationalisation of their positions and improvements in pay and benefits.
In February this year, SHED submitted a proposal to the Finance Division, seeking to increase the festival allowance to 50 percent of basic salary. The Budget Monitoring and Resource Committee, chaired by Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed, approved the proposal during a meeting held on 15 April.
However, instead of allocating the additional Tk229 crore from new funds, the Finance Division directed SHED to manage the increase from within its existing fiscal year budget. In a letter dated 21 April, SHED Senior Secretary Siddique Zobair formally requested Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Mozumder to approve the use of Tk229 crore from SHED’s current allocation. Zobair noted that Tk50 crore, originally earmarked for newly recognised institutions, remains unused, as no new MPO listings are scheduled before June. He suggested this amount could be repurposed for the enhanced Eid allowance.
Furthermore, the recent nationalisation of several MPO institutions has resulted in a transfer of employee salary responsibilities to the government’s revenue sector. This shift has created a Tk179 crore saving within SHED’s budget, which could also be used to fund the increased bonus.Efforts to reach Siddique Zobair for comment were unsuccessful. Both Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed and Finance Secretary Khairuzzaman Mozumder are currently in the United States and could not be contacted. However, a Finance Division official confirmed that the proposal is being viewed favourably, given SHED’s assurance of internal budget management. Final approval is expected once the finance adviser returns to the country on 29 April.
Eid-ul-Azha, the second most significant religious festival for Muslims in Bangladesh, is anticipated to be observed on 7 June, subject to moon sighting.
