MPO teachers end strike

Teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions under the MPO scheme have called off their strike after the government agreed to raise their house rent allowance to 15 percent of the basic salary.

The announcement came on Tuesday afternoon at the Central Shaheed Minar, where Delowar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the MPO-Listed Education Nationalisation Alliance, declared the suspension of their protest upon receiving the official government order. “We are calling off the strike and will return to classrooms from tomorrow,” he said.

The decision followed 10 consecutive days of demonstrations. According to a circular issued by the Finance Division on Tuesday, MPO-listed teachers and staff will receive a 7.5 percent increase in their house rent, or a minimum of Tk 2,000, effective from November. The remaining 7.5 percent will be implemented in July next year, bringing the total increase to 15 percent.

Medical allowance (Tk 1,500) and festival allowance (50 percent of basic salary) will remain unchanged. The Finance Division also clarified that no arrears would be applicable for the revised allowance. Any irregularities in future payments will make the approving authority liable. It further instructed that recruitment must strictly follow the MPO guidelines and government directives.

Earlier in the day, Education Adviser Professor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar met with leaders of the protesting teachers and staff at the Secretariat. Later, he formally handed over the Finance Division’s approval letter to Delowar Hossain Azizi.

“This is a practical and significant step for MPO-listed teachers and staff,” said the education adviser. “Teachers are the backbone of our society and nation-building, yet their salaries and benefits have long been insufficient. Even within the interim government’s limited fiscal capacity, we stand by their demands and will consider additional benefits in the future.”

In response, Delowar Hossain Azizi said, “We are grateful that the government has heard us. We hope that the festival allowance will soon be increased to 75 percent and the transfer system for teachers will be reinstated.”

Previously, MPO-listed teachers and employees received Tk 1,000 as house rent, which was increased to Tk 1,500 on September 30. On October 16, the government set it at 5 percent of the basic salary or a minimum of Tk 2,000, but teachers remained dissatisfied and continued their sit-in and hunger strike in Dhaka from October 12.

Finally, facing growing pressure from the movement, the government approved the third revision, raising the allowance to 15 percent.

Leaders from various political parties, including BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and NCP, had expressed solidarity with the ongoing strike, which also demanded a 20 percent housing allowance among other reforms.