Teachers and employees of non-MPO listed schools; now on eight-day of strike and third day of hunger strike on Tuesday in front of the Jatiya Press Club demanding inclusion in the MPO list have entered critical health situation.
In one estimate 16 have fallen sick and some others hospitalized. It is a sensitive issue staged on city footpath that is not however desired from teachers giving an ugly scene to city dwellers.
We are sympathetic to their plight when one section of them gets MPO benefits from the government exchequer while the other does not despite the fact that they look alike and doing alike in their teaching job.
But the fact is that such strikes are not the right way to fulfil demands; it is being primarily resorted to by unruly political elements; not by people like in the teaching job.
But the fact is that such strikes are not the right way to fulfil demands; it is being primarily resorted to by unruly political elements; not by people like in the teaching job.
We must say they must end their strike and hunger strike in particular when the Education Minister has assured them of looking into their demands. It appears that teachers want specific timeframe as to when their demands will be met. But in our view the Education Minister is right when he asked them for patience saying such move needs approval of the Cabinet and other preparations. He said he has already talked to Finance Minister who provides fund and in his word the Finance Minister has assured of starting the process.
That’s a good beginning and we hope the government will keep words. But teachers must have also patience without going into inflicting harm to their own life. The government procedure needs time.
In our view the Education Minister has accepted their demand but he can’t give a timeline, which needs time, and teachers must accept it, as he has demanded of them. Teachers can’t take violent method of protest; they must accept the Minister’s assurance and leave.
In case the assurance is not followed through, they have the right to call strike again but they should think of peaceful way of protest – not occupying city streets and turning it into a humanitarian crisis by resorting to hunger strike.
About 80,000 teachers are currently employed in the government-recognised 5,242 schools all over Bangladesh, who are not under a pay scheme. They do not receive any payment, some for over a decade and they have a good case to get the entitlement to end the discrimination within the job.
