Teacher alliance demands nationalisation of MPO-listed institutions with 10-point charter

The MPO-listed Education Nationalisation Aspirant Alliance has put forward a 10-point demand, including nationalisation of MPO-listed schools, colleges, madrasas and technical educational institutions.

The demands were presented at a press conference at the National Press Club on Saturday (August 1) afternoon by the alliance's member secretary, Principal Delawar Hossain Azizi. He said, "The nationalisation of MPO-listed education is not just a demand of teachers today. It is also a demand of parents. It is a demand of the general public. Because if this nationalisation is successful, it is not only the teachers who will benefit. Rather, every parent will be able to educate their children by paying only Tk 20 to 30 per month as tuition fees."

Principal Azizi further said, "You all know that Begum Khaleda Zia, who has been repeatedly elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh, once said in front of all electronic and print media that if the BNP government ever comes to power, we will nationalise MPO-listed education. But we are seeing that this government has not taken any effective step towards nationalisation so far. We are waiting to see action from the government for the immediate implementation of that promise that Begum Khaleda Zia had dreamed of and pledged."

He alleged that while the process of appointing heads and deputy heads of institutions through NTRCA is ongoing, there is a conspiracy to undermine it. Warning that efforts are being made to transfer this appointment authority back to the committee, he said, "We want to make it clear from today's programme. If there is any conspiracy to transfer the appointment of heads and deputy heads back to the committee, from the very next day, under the leadership of the Nationalisation Aspirant Alliance, over six lakh teachers and employees will launch an unstoppable movement like the Shaheed Minar movement, Insha Allah."

The alliance's general secretary, Abul Bashar, read out a written statement at the press conference. He said, "The main driving force behind a country's economic prosperity and industrialisation is technical and vocational education. No country can emerge as a developed nation without creating skilled human resources. Yet this promising sector has long been suffering from extreme neglect, discrimination and a lack of good governance."

The 10-point demands put forward by the alliance are:

Nationalisation of MPO-listed institutions and formulation of a transfer policy.

Restoration of the Trade Instructor post.

Payment of salaries on the 1st of every month and an end to irregularities and corruption at the Technical Education Board and Directorate.

An end to harassment by the Technical Directorate over B.Ed, higher education and all types of scales, and making the scale application process fully online.

Enactment of a 'Teacher-Employee Protection Act' to ensure the physical and mental safety of teachers and employees.

Establishment of modern, high-quality laboratories in all MPO-listed technical institutions.

Arrangement of domestic and international standard training programmes for technical teachers in line with the new curriculum.

Creation of the post of 'Assistant Head Teacher (Technical)' urgently to maintain administrative balance.

Establishment of a separate Ministry of Technical Education to expand technical education and facilitate rapid decision-making.

Also present at the press conference were Mahbubur Rahman, adviser of the Technical Teachers and Employees Council; its president Md Matiur Rahman; organising secretary Md Rashed Mosharaf; Ashrafuzzaman Hanif, member secretary of the MPO-listed Teachers Council; Nurul Islam Siyam, joint secretary of the Bangladesh Vocational Teachers' Association; Hamidur Rahman, vice-president of the Bangladesh Technical Teachers and Employees Council; Md Saiful Islam, finance secretary; Md Bashir Uddin, coordinator of the MPO-listed Education Nationalisation Aspirant Alliance, Dhaka metropolis; Mosabberuzzaman, joint general secretary of the Bangladesh Technical Teachers and Employees Council; joint general secretaries Amit Adhikari, Ashikur Rahman Babu, Md Alamin, Md Murshalin Haque, Alamgir Hossain and Marzina Khatun.