It is a debt to our teachers Honour them with action
The prolonged delay in disbursing retirement benefits to teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions has exposed serious structural weaknesses in the country’s retirement financing system.
What should have been a routine administrative process has evolved into a humanitarian and governance concern, leaving tens of thousands of retired educators waiting years for the financial support they rightfully deserve, reports The New Nation on Thursday.
The scale of the problem is alarming. Around 67,000 retirement benefit applications and another 45,000 welfare applications remain pending, while the Retirement Benefit Board faces a funding shortfall running into several thousand crore taka.
The situation has been aggravated by nearly Tk 700 crore of the Board’s funds remaining tied up in financially troubled private commercial banks, severely constraining its ability to meet payment obligations.
Consequently, retired teachers and employees are now compelled to wait an average of two and a half years to receive benefits that are often their only source of financial security after retirement.
Such delays carry profound social implications. Many retired teachers rely on these payments to meet essential living expenses and rising medical costs.
For individuals who have devoted their professional lives to educating the nation’s youth, prolonged uncertainty over retirement benefits is both unjust and demoralising.
A country that aspires to strengthen its education system cannot afford to neglect those who have served as its backbone.
The government’s decision to arrange additional financial support and undertake administrative reforms is a welcome step.
The introduction of digital processing, enhanced online services, direct transfers through iBAS++, and efforts to strengthen institutional capacity are likely to improve efficiency and reduce bureaucratic delays.
Nevertheless, technological improvements alone cannot resolve a crisis rooted in chronic financial inadequacy.
Immediate measures are needed to recover funds from the banks concerned, ensure adequate budgetary allocations, and clear the growing backlog without further delay.
Retirement benefits are not discretionary payments; they are earned entitlements protected by law.
Ensuring their timely disbursement is therefore not merely an administrative responsibility but a moral obligation.
As Bangladesh continues its pursuit of educational advancement, safeguarding the welfare of retired teachers must remain a national priority.
Respect for educators is best demonstrated not through rhetoric, but through fulfilling the commitments made to them after a lifetime of public service.
