[Bangladesh] Technical teachers unpaid for 3 consecutive years

Bangladesh’s technical teachers - who operate under the government’s Technical and Madrasah Education Division - have been struggling with ‘inhumane’ conditions after going without their salary allowance for three consecutive years, The Business Post reports.

Dipu Moni - the country’s former education minister - previously sought funds from the finance division without success. Now, with changes in the finance minister and the education minister under the new government, the matter of technical teachers’ salaries and allowances continues to be unresolved.

Ms Moni reportedly wrote to former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on December 31, 2023, seeking funds to pay outstanding salaries. A copy of the letter was also sent to the finance secretary. The Business Post obtained a copy of the letter.

Education ministry sources revealed that in the budget for FY2019-20, the finance division allocated Tk 9,82,93,704 - including two festival allowances and one new year allowance - for three months from April to June 2020. The salaries and allowances of the respective teachers were paid until June 2020.

Since July 2020, the teachers’ salaries and allowances could not be paid as a result of a lack of allocation in the revenue budget for the Technical and Madrasah Education Division in FY2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23.

In her letter, the minister wrote that the affected teachers were living inhumane lives without their salary allowance.

The education ministry, at that time, had reportedly urged the finance ministry to pay salary and allowances for at least 11 months from July 2020 to May 2021.

Additionally, it recommended the continuation of employment of 777 teachers under the concluded Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) project.

The ministry requested necessary steps be taken to release Tk 27,53,67,048 [including two festival allowances and one new year allowance].

The Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP), implemented by the Directorate of Technical Education, began on July 1, 2010 and ended on June 30, 2019. Of the 799 teachers in the project, 777 currently working acquired their skills through training at home and abroad.

In light of the acute shortage of teachers in technical educational institutes, even after the conclusion of the project, it was decided to continue the education programme in the government polytechnic and mono-technic institutes and to pay the salaries and allowances through bulk allocation.

In this context, a DO letter was reportedly sent to the Finance Division. In May 2016, the prime minister verbally approved the proposal to transfer the jobs of 777 teachers working under the completed STEP project to the revenue sector.

According to the Public Administration Ministry, the process of amending the recruitment rules for the transfer of teachers to the revenue sector is currently being undergone.

In her letter, Ms Moni stated that technical education is one of the priority sectors of Bangladesh. The current government has made technical education for economic and social development a priority, to solve the country’s existing unemployment problem.

The government has also taken multiple steps to promote, expand and generally improve technical education.

The government's vision for 2041 reportedly set a target to increase student enrollment in technical education to 30 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2041.

Source: The Business Post

Bangladesh’s technical teachers - who operate under the government’s Technical and Madrasah Education Division - have been struggling with ‘inhumane’ conditions after going without their salary allowance for three consecutive years, The Business Post reports.

Dipu Moni - the country’s former education minister - previously sought funds from the finance division without success. Now, with changes in the finance minister and the education minister under the new government, the matter of technical teachers’ salaries and allowances continues to be unresolved.

Ms Moni reportedly wrote to former finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on December 31, 2023, seeking funds to pay outstanding salaries. A copy of the letter was also sent to the finance secretary. The Business Post obtained a copy of the letter.

Education ministry sources revealed that in the budget for FY2019-20, the finance division allocated Tk 9,82,93,704 - including two festival allowances and one new year allowance - for three months from April to June 2020. The salaries and allowances of the respective teachers were paid until June 2020.

Since July 2020, the teachers’ salaries and allowances could not be paid as a result of a lack of allocation in the revenue budget for the Technical and Madrasah Education Division in FY2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23.

In her letter, the minister wrote that the affected teachers were living inhumane lives without their salary allowance.

The education ministry, at that time, had reportedly urged the finance ministry to pay salary and allowances for at least 11 months from July 2020 to May 2021.

Additionally, it recommended the continuation of employment of 777 teachers under the concluded Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP) project.

The ministry requested necessary steps be taken to release Tk 27,53,67,048 [including two festival allowances and one new year allowance].

The Skills and Training Enhancement Project (STEP), implemented by the Directorate of Technical Education, began on July 1, 2010 and ended on June 30, 2019. Of the 799 teachers in the project, 777 currently working acquired their skills through training at home and abroad.

In light of the acute shortage of teachers in technical educational institutes, even after the conclusion of the project, it was decided to continue the education programme in the government polytechnic and mono-technic institutes and to pay the salaries and allowances through bulk allocation.

In this context, a DO letter was reportedly sent to the Finance Division. In May 2016, the prime minister verbally approved the proposal to transfer the jobs of 777 teachers working under the completed STEP project to the revenue sector.

According to the Public Administration Ministry, the process of amending the recruitment rules for the transfer of teachers to the revenue sector is currently being undergone.

In her letter, Ms Moni stated that technical education is one of the priority sectors of Bangladesh. The current government has made technical education for economic and social development a priority, to solve the country’s existing unemployment problem.

The government has also taken multiple steps to promote, expand and generally improve technical education.

The government's vision for 2041 reportedly set a target to increase student enrollment in technical education to 30 per cent by 2030 and 50 per cent by 2041.

Source: The Business Post