The Combined Non-MPO Unity Council, an association of non-MPO (Monthly Pay Order) teachers, has announced plans to launch an intensified protest if all recognized non-MPO educational institutions are not brought under the MPO coverage.
On Saturday morning, the organization made the declaration during a sit-in demonstration in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Mawlana Farhad Hossain Talukder, the central coordinator of the council, said, “We have made the decision that tomorrow we will return to this street wearing burial shrouds. We want to send a clear message to the government — we have come prepared to either receive MPO approval or leave as dead bodies. There is no retreat from this movement.”
Calling for nationwide participation, Talukder urged, “I call upon all non-MPO teachers across the country to gather tomorrow, Sunday morning, in front of the National Press Club and in all the surrounding streets. We have been pushed to the wall. There is no alternative to a fierce movement now.”
He expressed frustration that although May has passed and June is also coming to an end, there has been no visible progress regarding MPO implementation.
Talukder emphasized that they want to see a concrete resolution to their demands, stating, “We will no longer sit silently. We issued a 72-hour ultimatum which expired last Wednesday. Since the government has not responded to us, we are making it clear — if our institutions are not included under MPO, we will launch a continuous protest on Dhaka’s streets wearing burial shrouds.”
Starting from 10 AM on Saturday, non-MPO teachers from various institutions gathered at the protest venue, where approximately a hundred teachers participated in the sit-in.
The teachers stressed that bringing non-MPO educational institutions under the MPO system should be the government`s top priority. Among all the ongoing professional demands in the country, they believe that securing salaries for non-MPO teachers is the most logical and humanitarian issue.
Talukder concluded by announcing that they would continue their protest from Saturday night until their demands are met.
