Gulam Rabbani :
The headmasters of the government primary schools across the country are waiting to get the 10th grade in the national pay scale after completing all the stages of legal battle.
But, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has not taken any decision yet over fixing 10th grade for the headmasters of the government primary schools even after the apex court of the country has given its nod.
Abu Bakar Siddique, Additional Secretary (Admin) of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, said, “We have not received the copy of the apex court judgement. That is why no decision was taken yet in this regard. We will take initiatives as per the direction of the court after getting the court order.”
A headmaster from Kishoreganj on condition of anonymity said, “Although we were given second class status, we had been discriminated during determining the salary. But now we have secured the apex court order over the issue. Hopefully this inequality will end now.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on March 9, 2014 directed the authorities concerned to give the head teachers the second-class status (10th grade) and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education issued a gazette notification on the same day.
But the ministry strategically fixed the salary scale in the 11th grade for the trained head teachers and 12th grade for the untrained head teachers, whereas the other second-class officials were given 10th grade on that year.
Then 45 headmasters including Reaz Parvez, President of Bangladesh Government Primary Headmasters Association, filed a writ petition with the High Court seeking necessary orders to this effect.
Upon primary hearing the HC issued a rule on March 5, 2018, in this regard and after full hearing the court on February 25 in 2019 declared the rule absolute.
In the verdict the High Court asked the government to give salary under the 10th grade to the 45 head teachers of the government primary schools and to include them in the Official Gazette as second class officers.
But the state filed appeal petition against the High Court verdict. After hearing, the apex court on January 6 this year rejected the petition.
As per the verdict, both the trained and non-trained headmasters of the primary schools will get the salary under the 10th grade from March 9, 2014.
Khurshid Alam Khan, a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, said, “In case of determining any grade of the pay scale, there is no opportunity to give the benefit to any particular group. I think the apex court verdict will be applicable for all the teachers and all the headmasters will get the benefit of the verdict.”
