Teachers and employees from MPO-listed (Monthly Pay Order) institutions continued their indefinite sit-in protest for the second consecutive day on Monday at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, demanding a 20% house rent allowance based on their basic salary.
Although the teachers’ platform earlier announced a countrywide work abstention in protest of Sunday’s alleged police attack on demonstrators, reports suggest mixed participation — with classes ongoing in some institutions while others remain closed.
Teachers at Model School and College (Basabo Branch) and Viqarunnisa Noon School and College confirmed that academic activities were continuing as usual in Dhaka. In contrast, T. Ali College in Brahmanbaria’s Kasba, Gahira Degree College in Chattogram’s Rauzan, Bagutia Gopalpur Secondary School in Jhenaidah’s Shailkupa, and Bashgari Islamia Dakhil Madrasa in Kishoreganj’s Bhairab reported full participation in the work abstention.
Speaking from the Shaheed Minar, Delwar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the MPObhukto Shikkha Jatioyokoron Prottashir Jote (Alliance for Nationalization of MPO-Listed Institutions), claimed that “around 90% of MPO-listed institutions are observing work abstention, although some are not. The MPO education system has largely come to a standstill.”
He added that the sit-in will continue until the government issues a circular granting 20% house rent allowance, Tk 1,500 medical allowance, and 75% festival bonus for employees.
The teachers began their continuous sit-in on Sunday morning in front of the National Press Club, demanding:
A 20% house rent allowance based on basic salary,
An increase in medical allowance from Tk 500 to Tk 1,500, and
A raise in festival bonus for employees from 50% to 75% of basic salary.
Later that day, at around 1:30 p.m., police requested the demonstrators to move from the Press Club to the Central Shaheed Minar. However, a section of teachers refused to comply. Around 1:55 p.m., police used sound grenades and batons to disperse the crowd and brought in water cannons to clear the area.
In response, teachers’ organizations declared a nationwide work abstention starting Monday to protest the police action.
Earlier, on September 30, the government had raised house rent for MPO-listed teachers by Tk 500. However, after the announcement was made public on October 5, teachers rejected it, calling it inadequate. Subsequently, on October 6, the Ministry of Education sent a proposal to the Finance Division to increase house rent allowance by Tk 2,000–3,000.
Currently, MPO-listed teachers receive salaries as per the national pay scale, along with Tk 500 in medical allowance and Tk 1,500 in house rent (raised from Tk 1,000). They also receive two annual festival bonuses at 50% of their basic pay, up from 25% following a revision made in May.
