Govt moves to ease teachers’ financial burden on Khaleda Zia’s birthday: Education Minister

Education and Primary and Mass Education Minister Dr A N M Ehsanul Haque Milan has said the government has taken steps to ease the financial hardship of teachers on the birthday of former BNP Chairperson and former prime minister Khaleda Zia.

Speaking at a ceremony at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka on Saturday (August 15), the minister said the government was distributing Tk 2,100 crore in retirement and welfare benefits to more than 70,000 private school and college teachers and employees following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s directive.

“Today is a significant day in the nation’s history,” Milan said, referring to Khaleda Zia’s birthday and the government’s initiative to disburse the long-awaited benefits to teachers.

According to the minister, a total of 70,019 teachers are receiving retirement benefits, while another 53,000 are being provided welfare allowances under the programme.

The minister said the initiative was aimed at fulfilling a long-standing demand of teachers and ensuring that they receive benefits owed to them after years of service.

He said the Education Ministry had been unable to complete several planned initiatives under the government’s 180-day “honeymoon period” programme. However, he described the distribution of retirement and welfare benefits as a significant step forward.

Milan said the government would continue working to address teachers’ longstanding concerns and ensure that they receive their rightful financial benefits.