The growing backlog in the disbursement of retirement benefits for non-government teachers and employees under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme is an alarming reflection of institutional neglect.
With over 87,000 applications pending — some for as long as five years — the interim government faces mounting pressure to act with urgency and compassion.
Retirement is meant to mark the beginning of rest and security for those who dedicated their lives to education.
Yet, many retired teachers are dying before receiving their entitled benefits, while others are left to navigate a complex and often opaque system.
Allegations of bribery and fund misappropriation only deepen the crisis, eroding trust in public institutions meant to serve educators.
Despite contributing 10 per cent of their basic salary throughout their careers — split between the Non-Government Teachers and Employees’ Retirement Benefit Board and the Welfare Trust — thousands of teachers are left waiting.
The FY2025–26 national budget’s allocation of Tk 2,000 crore for the Retirement Benefit Board, along with a Tk 300 crore revision in the FY2024–25 budget, is a welcome step.
However, these are insufficient to cover the estimated Tk 6,000–6,500 crore needed to clear the backlog.
The Welfare Trust, which received no allocation in the main budget, is equally overwhelmed, needing Tk 3,700 crore to resolve pending claims.
That some disbursements resumed recently — including payouts to Hajj-going retirees — is a positive sign, but not nearly enough.
Heart-wrenching accounts from teachers and families, like that of Nasima Khatun seeking funds for her ailing husband’s treatment, underscore the human cost of bureaucratic delays.
These are not statistics; they are people who have served the nation with dedication and now struggle for what is rightfully theirs.
This is a failure of prioritisation and governance. Planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud’s revelation that Tk 7,000 to Tk 8,000 crore of teachers’ pension funds may have been misappropriated is shocking and demands a full investigation.
The government must ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the disbursement of pensions.
Emergency funding should be secured to clear the backlog, and systemic reform must follow to prevent future crises.
Retired teachers are not beggars — they are nation-builders. Denying them dignity in retirement is a national disgrace.
