State minister backs private teachers’ demand for nationalisation.
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam today expressed his solidarity with the legitimate demand for nationalization of private teachers and employees and said it is bound to happen sooner or later for the sake of improving their status and standard of living.
He said that throughout the history of Bangladesh, every instance of improvement in teachers' salaries, allowances, pensions and social status occurred under the leadership of Shaheed President Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia.
He expressed hope that, continuing this legacy, the demand for nationalization would be realized under the leadership of the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
He made the remarks while addressing a conference organized by the ‘Shikkhok-Kormochari Oikya Jote’ at the Institution of Engineers here as special guest.
Announcing a new initiative regarding the use of renewable energy in educational institutions, the State Minister said the Ministry of Education would provide financial grants to install 5.5-kilowatt solar power panels on the rooftops of every institution. This would not only ensure uninterrupted electricity for the institutions but also allow them to earn between Taka 5,000 and 10,000 per month by selling surplus electricity generated during holidays and off-hours to the national grid. He also noted that under the present government, the education budget has been tripled and the health budget doubled.
Reminding everyone of the universal social status of teachers, Shahe Alam said that teaching is the only profession that gives birth to all other professions in the world. "You are the primary driving force of society and the messengers of democracy," he said, urging everyone to resist any propaganda that undermines the dignity of teachers in society and the state.
At the conference, he mentioned that the present government has been in office for only seven months. Elected through a free and fair election following a long struggle, this government is working tirelessly to revitalize the education sector, he said.
Despite the government's financial constraints, a special fund of Taka 2,000 crore has already been established to provide retirement benefits to approximately 100,000 teachers retiring between 2022 and 2026.
Advising the teaching community regarding their demand for nationalization, he noted that an additional Taka 700 to Taka 800 crore annually would be required for this purpose. He suggested that they organize a large-scale, disciplined national rally to convey their message to the Prime Minister through humane and democratic means, assuring them that the current government would certainly recognize the importance of their demand.
Addressing the debate over teachers' participation in local government elections, the State Minister clarified that there are no legal or policy-related barriers preventing teachers from participating in such elections as long as private educational institutions remain un-nationalized.
BNP Acting Secretary General and Adviser to the Prime Minister Advocate Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, was scheduled to attend the conference as the chief guest. Among others Member of Parliament and teacher leader Principal Md. Selim Bhuiyan, Secretary General of the Teachers-Employees Unity Alliance Chowdhury Mugis Uddin Mahmud and Secretary General of the Bangladesh Teachers' Association Md. Zakir Hossain, attended the conference.
