Staff Correspondent

Non-MPO teachers and employees threatened to march toward the Ministry of Education on Thursday if the government fails to publish a public notice for MPO applications under the Technical and Madrasah Education Division by tomorrow.

The ultimatum was issued today during the third consecutive day of the continuous sit-in program staged in front of the National Press Club on Tuesday.

The demonstration, aimed at pressing home the demand for the inclusion of all recognized non-MPO educational institutions into the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme, began at 10:00 AM under the chairmanship of Principal Md. Selim Miah.

"All non-MPO educational institutions must be brought under the MPO scheme immediately," said Principal Md. Selim Miah, the chief coordinator of the movement, while delivering his presidential address. "Spending funds allocated for our sector on other heads is entirely unjust. If the public notice for technical and madrasah institutions is not issued by June 10, we will be forced to launch a march toward the Education Ministry on Thursday, June 11," he warned.

Attending the program as the chief guest, Razekuzzaman Ratan, Assistant Secretary of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Basad), questioned the government's priorities regarding national budget allocations. "In a national budget exceeding nine lakh crore taka, is it really that difficult to allocate a mere 300 to 400 crore taka for non-MPO teachers? This represents a blatant lack of political goodwill," Ratan remarked, urging the government to immediately fulfill the teachers' demands.

The chief coordinator of the non-MPO organization, Principal Md. Nazmus Shahadat Azadi, lamented that teachers at these unrecognized institutions have faced severe institutional discrimination for the past 20 to 25 years. He strongly urged the current government to eliminate this disparity and expedite the MPO enlistment process.

Echoing these grievances, organizational coordinator Principal Md. Monimul Haque alleged that teachers had faced prolonged deprivation due to their political leanings. "The current government is our government. We have faced discrimination for a long time simply for being BNP supporters. The time has come to simultaneously enlist all non-MPO institutions. We want to resolve this issue through dialogue and hope the government will take immediate steps," Haque said.

Another coordinator, Lecturer Md. Mobarak Hossain, pointed out that following their lengthy movement, the previous administration had already accepted applications and compiled a verified list using automated software. "Therefore, there are no administrative hurdles left. We urge the government to officially declare the MPO enlistment and issue the public notice for the technical and madrasah division," Hossain added.

Describing their plight as unprecedented, coordinator Principal Baki Billah said, "We have been working for 20 to 25 years without any salary or allowances. I believe this is completely unexampled in world history. We expect the government to concede to our just demands without further delay."

Moderated by Coordinator Zahid Hossain, the mass demonstration saw the participation of key coordinators, including Principal Aftabul Alam, Superintendent Farhad Hossain Babul, Headmaster Habibur Rahman Babul, Lecturer Md. Golam Mostafa, and Lecturer Habibullah, alongside central, district, and upazila-level leaders from across the country.