M M Jasim :Many retired teachers’ dream of living their rest of life happily with family members have been shattered because of the lengthy process of getting pension money. The teachers after retirement apply to the Non-Government Teacher Employee Retirement Benefit Board (NGTERB) at Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information & Statistics (BANBEIS) Bhaban for pension money. But they have to wait for years, even die, yet the long waiting does not end. As a result, they pass their days in economic hardship and cannot meet family expenses. Visiting the BANBEIS Bhaban on Wednesday this reporter found many retired teachers waiting with application forms and some of them waiting to hear the good news. But they returned with much frustration as the NGTERB did not give them any good response. Meanwhile, the authorities of the NGTERB always express their helplessness, as they have no sufficient money to make the retired teachers happy. They said, the NGTERB grants the pension to the retired teachers from the fund of the teachers and the contribution of the government. But sadly the government has not shared the contribution to the NGTERB for giving the retired teachers since 2004. So, how they will give the pension to the teachers in time without government donation, the officials said. The officials of the NGTERB told The New Nation wishing anonymity say that the retried teachers suffer due to the negligence of the government. Md Abdus Salam joined Quashemganj High School in Charfession upazila under Bhola district as Assistant Teacher in August 1972 and retried in August 2012. He discharged his duty with honesty and sincerity. After retirement, he applied to the NGTERB for his pension. He died in July 2014, but did not get pension. Former Assistant Teacher of Tushkhali Girls High School at Bhandaria Upazila in Pirojpur district Md Mokhlesur Rahman applied for his pension on August 13 in 2014 for his pension. He retired from the school on March 1 of the same year. He was suffering from various deadly diseases. He died on December 2 in 2014 after waiting for his pension. He lost his dream to take treatment by the pension money. Like Md Abdus Salam and Md Mokhlesur Rahman, hundreds of teachers suffer from poverty, but pension is not granted. Sharif Sadi, Member-Secretary of NGTERB told The New Nation on Wednesday that about 46 thousand retired teachers are waiting for the pension. But they are not capable to give pension who applied before 2011. “We have not sufficient money in the NGTERB fund. The NGTERB needs at least Tk 1900 crore as pension for about 46 thousand retired teachers. Without the government help, it is totally impossible to make the teachers happy,” the member-secretary said. Sharif Sadi said, “It makes me very emotional when I fail to provide pension to the teachers timely and hear that they have died,” he told this reporter with shocked voice. The member-secretary also urged the government to pay the government’s contribution to the teachers’ pension fund. “I believe that the PM only can give us a solution and make retired teachers joyful,” he said. Monwara Begum, the wife of Md Abdus Salam, told The New Nation with crying voice that her husband expected that he would take medical treatment after getting the pension. But his dream was not fulfilled. She also said that they did not get the pension till now. “He (Md Abdus Salam) dedicated his whole life for education. He never thought of anything without teaching,” Monwara Begum said. Md Abul Bashar, former teacher of KGK High School in Tangail, is suffering from cancer since 2011 and submitted his application for pension in 2012. He moved from door to door of the officials of the NGTERB, but failed to get any money for treatment. He told The New Nation with aggrieved voice, “I served as a teacher to build the nation educated for about 40 years. Now I am sick, but the government does not help me. Even, I am deprived of getting my rights.” Md Moin Uddin is a retired assistant teacher of Hadal Union High School in Pabna and he has been suffering from acute diseases, applied for pension in 2012, but failed. “I have been suffering from various diseases since 2008 from two years before of my retirement. I wanted to take treatment after getting the pension. I also need money to marry my daughter. But now I am in severe problem which I cannot express,” he said. He also urged the government to respect the retired teachers; otherwise none will show interest to teaching profession. Meanwhile, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid told The New Nation on Wednesday, “It is indeed that the teachers suffer. But it will not last long. The ministry will take initiative to reduce the problem of the retired teachers.”
