Pry edu sinks deeper into gridlock

Bangladesh’s primary education sector is facing growing challenges as thousands of court cases, prolonged vacancies and delays in recruitment, promotions and transfers continue to disrupt administration and service delivery.

According to officials and sector insiders, more than 6,500 cases involving the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education are currently pending before the courts.

The legal complications have reportedly stalled the recruitment of thousands of personnel, including head teachers, office assistants and other staff, while also delaying promotions and transfers.

Sources said around 26,000 office assistant posts and approximately 32,000 head teacher positions remain vacant.

Consequently, many government primary schools are being run by acting head teachers, raising concerns about educational management and administration.

Officials acknowledged that long-standing disputes over recruitment policies, including debates over quotas for internal promotions and external recruitment, have contributed to the delays.

Promotion files for District Primary Education Officers (DPOs) and Assistant Thana/Upazila Education Officers (ATOs) have also reportedly remained pending for a prolonged period.

Teachers have expressed frustration over transfer-related complications. In many cases, teachers who have received transfer orders are unable to join their new workplaces because replacement teachers have not been appointed at their current schools. As a result, many continue to live apart from their families for years.

One teacher, speaking on condition of anonymity, alleged that transfers and promotions are sometimes influenced by financial considerations rather than administrative needs.

Addressing Parliament on 17 June, Minister for Education and Primary and Mass Education Dr Ahsanul Haque Milon highlighted the scale of the crisis.

He said more than 33,000 head teacher posts were vacant nationwide and many eligible officials were reaching retirement without receiving promotions.
“Despite our efforts, these matters remain unresolved because of the complexity of the cases,” he told lawmakers.

The minister also said recruitment of 32,500 teachers, along with additional recruitment processes involving 2,600 and 17,000 positions, had been delayed due to ongoing litigation. Recruitment of primary school office-cum-night guards has also been affected.

Meanwhile, discussions about alleged irregularities, administrative shortcomings and coordination issues have intensified on social media.

On 19 June, the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) issued a directive warning government primary school teachers against using social media in ways that violate public service rules or damage the reputation of the government, public institutions or the primary education system.

The directive warned of disciplinary action against teachers found posting or sharing derogatory comments, misinformation or objectionable content.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj recently announced plans to reform the teacher transfer system.

Under the proposed arrangement, transfer applications would be processed through committees at the upazila, district and divisional levels under local administration.

He said the changes were intended to eliminate opportunities for corruption and syndicate influence in the transfer process.

However, education stakeholders have expressed reservations, arguing that transferring authority to local administrations could create new opportunities for political or social influence.

Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Emeritus Professor at BRAC University, welcomed efforts to reduce corruption but stressed the need for transparency and impartiality. He warned that without proper safeguards, local-level interference and lobbying could undermine the intended reforms.

Former caretaker government adviser on Primary and Mass Education Rasheda K. Chowdhury told The New Nation that the large number of pending cases had accumulated over many years and was seriously affecting the sector.

“When schools operate without head teachers or office assistants because of legal disputes, it is ultimately the students and the country’s future generation who suffer,” she said.

She emphasised that solutions must be pursued through consultation with stakeholders while respecting judicial processes.

Calling for greater coordination among policymakers, including Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Mahdi Amin, she said effective cooperation was essential to ensure reforms that serve the interests of students and the education system.