Govt's 'apathy' to non-MPO teachers 'shameful': Rizvi

BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi yesterday said the interim government's indifference to the movement of non-MPO teachers is shameful.

"Education in Bangladesh is no longer the backbone of the nation; rather, it has become the nation's illness. That is exactly what it seems when we see the indifference of the government and the administration to the teachers' ongoing movement," he said.

Rizvi made the remarks in front of the National Press Club while expressing solidarity with teachers staging a sit-in demanding the inclusion of all government-recognised non-Monthly Pay Order educational institutions under the MPO system.

He said educated people and teachers from schools, colleges, and madrasas have been sitting on the pavements, observing hunger strikes, but the government and the administration are least bothered about it.

"Teachers are now living in hunger due to the bureaucratic complications of the interim government under which we have been demanding a free, fair, and impartial election. This is not only the government's shame but a shame for the whole nation," the BNP leader said.

He said bureaucratic red tape has left the education sector in disarray, depriving teachers of good salaries and facilities. "In West Bengal, even private school teachers receive good salaries. But in Bangladesh, non-MPO teachers have been raising their demands for years with no resolution."

The BNP leader called for the immediate inclusion of non-MPO educational institutions in the MPO, saying that teachers' legitimate demands should be met. "They (teachers) shape the future of the nation, yet they are sitting on hunger strikes. This is a disgrace for the nation."

Referring to a high-cost power purchase deal with an Indian private company during the previous Awami League government, Rizvi said Bangladesh was forced to buy electricity at excessive rates.

"Even without producing electricity, the private company receives capacity charges. But non-MPO teachers are left to starve on the streets. There is no money for them, no policy for them," he said.

The BNP leader criticised the finance adviser for not giving importance to the issues of the poor.

He said though the interim government is supposed to serve the poor, it does not pay attention to them.

"The government spends money on so many other areas. So there should be no difficulty in allocating funds for teachers. Why can't they spend on teachers?" Rizvi said.

He also said that the government has increased taxes on gas used for agricultural production by 83%. "This will raise fertiliser prices and harm farmers. This proves the government is not pro-poor," he added.

Rizvi said all political parties extended their support to the interim government with the belief that a free and fair election is possible under it. "We still have faith in Dr Muhammad Yunus. But your other advisers are not working in the interest of the people or in line with the thinking of the people. This cannot be the work of an effective government."