Dulal Mia, Sunamganj
Instead of sporadic nationalization of individual educational institutions, the Bangladesh College-University Teachers’ Association (BAKBISHIS), Sunamganj District Branch, has submitted a memorandum demanding the full nationalization of the education system, allocation of 6% of GDP to the education sector as per UNESCO recommendations, and appointment of principals and vice-principals through NTRCA, among other 11-point demands.

As part of a central program, the memorandum containing the 11-point demands was submitted to the ‘Chief Adviser’ through the Deputy Commissioner of Sunamganj at 10 am, On Wednesday.

Present during the submission were BAKBISHIS Sunamganj District President Assistant Professor Shubhankar Talukdar, Joint General Secretary Lecturer Shahina Chowdhury Ruby, Organizational Secretary Lecturer Dulal Mia, and Finance Secretary Lecturer Kanchan Baidya, among others.

BAKBISHIS’ Demands in the Education Sector:

1. We demand the nationalization of the entire education system, not sporadic or isolated nationalization. Allocate 6% of GDP to the education sector in line with UNESCO recommendations.
2. MPO-enlisted teachers and staff should receive 100% festival bonuses, house rent, and medical allowances like their government counterparts.
3. Like the 11 reform commissions formed by the interim government on 11 issues, a reform commission must be formed specifically for education.
4. The position of Senior Lecturer in higher secondary schools and colleges should be abolished, and the post of Assistant Professor should be reinstated as before.
5. Teachers appointed at various levels, including Honours and Masters in private colleges, must be brought under MPO coverage, and all non-MPO institutions must be enlisted for MPO benefits immediately.
6. Retired teachers and staff of private educational institutions must be given pension facilities similar to those of government employees. Until that provision is in place, funds from the welfare trust and retirement fund must be disbursed within three months of retirement. Adequate government allocation is needed for both the retirement and welfare funds.
7. A policy must be formulated and implemented immediately for the transfer of private teachers. Posts of Associate Professors and Professors should be created in private colleges, and the retirement age for all teachers in educational institutions should be raised to 65 years, similar to universities.
8. Private teachers must be proportionally appointed to administrative positions in the education sector.
9. Recruitment to the posts of principal and vice-principal must be done based on experience as previously practiced. Moreover, appointments to the posts of principal, vice-principal, head teacher, assistant head teacher, and staff should be conducted through NTRCA or an alternative teacher recruitment commission.
10. False accusations, attacks, humiliation, harassment, and dismissal of teachers must be stopped to ensure a proper learning environment in all educational institutions.
11. All public universities, like Dhaka University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University, and Jahangirnagar University, must be granted autonomy.