14 Sylhet College teachers struggle despite HC order to join

Fourteen teachers at Sylhet Government Unani Ayurvedic Medical College have not been allowed to join their duties despite a High Court ruling in their favour.

The teachers said they lost their jobs in 2016 after the health ministry revoked their appointments without citing any reason.

The High Court later struck down the government order in response to an appeal filed by the teachers.

They are finding it hard to get by due to non-payment of salaries for months.

Sylhet Government Unani Ayurvedic Medical College was established in 1945 and relocated to its current premises in the city's suburban area in 2011.

Since then, the college has witnessed a significant increase in student enrollment, with 86 students currently attending the institution.

Under the health ministry's Alternative Medicine Care Project 351 teachers were appointed across the country, with 12 being assigned to the Sylhet college.

In 2012, an additional 14 teachers were hired directly by the health ministry for the college, marking a new chapter in its academic activities.

The college authorities said they have not acted on the court's order as they are yet to receive an official directive from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). Consequently, the teachers have been unable to rejoin their duties.

On 19 August, a supplementary order from the High Court instructed the teachers' positions to be integrated into the revenue sector. However, since no directives have come from the health ministry, the teachers are in a state of uncertainty. They are unable to resume work, and at their age, they also face difficulties in pursuing alternative career opportunities.

One of the affected teachers, Mohammad Jafar Hossain Khan, said, "We are facing inhumane conditions. With no other means of income, we are living in dire circumstances."

Additionally, 12 teachers who had been appointed under the Alternative Medicine Care Project also found themselves unable to join their respective positions due to the project's cancellation. As a result, the academic activities at the college have effectively come to a halt, and none of these 12 teachers have received their salaries since June.

Dr Mohammad Moinul Islam Chowdhury Nanna, principal of the college said, "The court has issued an order in favor of the 14 teachers, but without an official directive from the Ministry of Health, I cannot allow them to resume work. As for the 12 teachers under the Alternative Medicine Project, they are currently conducting classes, but they are not receiving any salaries or allowances."