The Ministry of Finance has approved a five percent house rent allowance (minimum Tk 2,000) for the teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme.
The ministry’s Finance Division issued a letter to the secretaries of the Secondary and Higher Education Division and the Technical and Madrasa Education Division on Sunday, outlining six conditions for implementation.
The new allowance will take effect from November 1. It specifies that the house rent must be adjusted according to the next national pay scale and that no arrears will be paid.
Currently, MPO-listed teachers and employees receive Tk 1,000 as house rent. Earlier, the Finance Division had agreed to raise it by Tk 500, but the Education Ministry withheld the order amid ongoing protests.
Teachers have been demanding a 20 percent house rent allowance (minimum Tk 3,000) and are continuing their movement for the eighth consecutive day, now observing a hunger strike at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
A few days ago, a delegation of protesting teachers met Education Adviser Prof CR Abrar, who had informed them of the government’s plan to increase the allowance by 5 percent, which they rejected.
FP/MI