Retirement allowance for MPO teachers not feasible within 6 months: Education minister

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury Nowfel on Wednesday said it is not possible to pay retirement allowance to the teachers of MPO-affiliated educational institutions within six months of their retirement.

The minister gave this information in parliament in response to the question of an independent MP elected from Madaripur.

He said that the government is serious about solving the problem of delay in disbursing retirement allowance and welfare allowance of private school teachers. 

In consideration of the number of outstanding applications, in the budget of the financial year 2024-25, an allocation of Tk301.75 crore has been proposed in favour of private educational institutions and employee retirement benefit boards.

"At present, it is not possible to provide retirement allowance to all teachers including secondary and higher secondary under MPO within 6 months of retirement in private educational institutions," he said.

In response to the question of another independent MP elected from Jhenaidah-2 Md. Nasser Shahrear Zahedee, the Education Minister said the number of secondary schools in Bangladesh is currently 18,968.

"Of these, 5,184 schools have vacant posts of head teachers," he said.

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, while responding to the question of independent MP elected from Sylhet Mohammad Huchamuddin Chowdhury said that there are 8,314 MPO madrasas under the purview of the Directorate of Madrasa Education, 16,179 madrasas approved by the Madrasa Education Board, 6,889 independent Ibtedayee madrasah, and 9,290 Dakhil and Alim madrasas, 8,229 Dakhil Madrasas belonging to MPO and 85 Alim Madrasas belonging to MPO.

Social Welfare Minister Dr Dipu Moni while answering the question of Awami League MP elected from Dhaka AFM Bahauddin Nasim said that it has been possible to bring 69,972 children back to the mainstream of society from the existing children's homes.

In response to the question of Awami League MP elected from Kishoreganj Afzal Hossain, Science and Technology Minister Architect Yafesh Osman said that the physical, chemical, marine environment and geological survey of about 10,000 square kilometres of sea area from Saint Martin Island to Bhola has been completed.

Around 60 species of marine corals have been identified in St Martin Island, he said.

"These act as the spawning and living area for fish. In addition, 147 types of seaweed or marine algae species have been identified growing on the island of St. Martin," he said.