Non-government teachers and employees who have been rallying for monthly pay order enlistment for 12 days on Friday suspended their programme for three months after the education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, had assured them of considering their demands.
The Non-MPO Shikkhak-Karmachari Oikya Jote president, Esharat Ali, made the announcement after the meeting with the minister at his house on Minto Road.
‘The discussion was fruitful. The minister assured us that he would take up our issues with the Prime Minister’s Office and the finance ministry in three months. So we are suspending our programmes for three months,’ Esharat said.
Nahid said, ‘We have discussed with teachers their demands. We will sit with teachers after three months and review the issue. Teachers have suspended their programme and said that they will get back to work.’
‘It is not the matter of assurances. We are trying [for the MPO enlistment] and will continue with our efforts,’ Nahid said as he was asked about assurances being given to teachers.
A 13-member delegation of the teachers sat with the minister. The education secretary, Kamal Abdul Naser Chwodhury, also attended.
People attending the meeting said that the minister had assured the teachers of resolving the issue after consultation with the prime minister and the finance minister.
Non-government teachers, who had held protests in the capital for 12 days, faced police obstruction. They submitted a memorandum to the speaker, , Abdul Hamid, on Thursday afternoon.
The teachers said that around 7,000 educational institutions employing about one lakh teachers and employees were yet to get enlisted for the monthly pay order although most of them fulfilled all the criteria.
Teachers and employees have been rallying for long seeking MPO enlistment. On October 5, 2012, the police charged at the teachers with truncheons when they were holding protests. At least 50 teachers and employees were injured at the time.
The teacher, however, suspended their sit-in on the fourth day at that time on assurances of having a meeting with the prime minister to discuss their demands.
As no such meeting was held, the teachers on December 30, 2012 gave the government an ultimatum to meet the demands by January 5, threatening a sit-in for an indefinite period.