The Jatiya Party and independent lawmakers said on Sunday in Jatiya Sangsad that Bangladesh鈥檚 education sector was beset with widespread irregularities, corruption, and discrimination.
While speaking at the cut motion proposals against the demand of the Secondary and Higher Studies Division for the financial year 2024鈥�25, they said that nothing happened in the sector without paying bribes.
Md Hamidul Haque Khandker of the Kurigram-2 constituency said that the allocation for education was always behind the GDP target.
Mentioning the presence of institutional and regional disparities in the sector, he said that field-level education officers stay five to seven years at the same workstation and get involved in various types of irregularities and corruption.
Pankaj Nath of the Barisal-4 constituency said that the recruitment of teachers through the Non-Governmental Teachers Registration and Certification Authority is commendable. But, if someone from Chilmari in Kurigram gets appointed in Mehendiganj in Barisal, he does not join.
鈥楾here are more problems in the hilly areas. Because of this, even after the appointment of teachers, the education programme is being disrupted. Regionalization of this recruitment should be considered. Vacancies for teachers and education officers should be filled expeditiously,鈥� he said.
He said the High Court barred lawmakers from becoming president of the managing committee of the educational institutes.
He said that MPs spoke about it repeatedly, and the education minister said that the government would appeal.
鈥業 don't know whether he has appealed against the order of the High Court or not. If he is a minister today,鈥� he said.
The education system has undergone a drastic change, according to Jatiya Party lawmaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
Buildings have been erected, but the quality of education has not changed, he said.
He said that for MPO inclusion, one had to go to different tables. A step-by-step table means step-by-step corruption.
Abul Kalam of the Natore-1 constituency said that corruption was everywhere. 鈥榃idespread corruption is going on in education. It cannot be expressed in words,鈥� he said.
鈥楴o teacher is getting a retirement allowance without money,鈥� he added.
Nasser Shahriar Zahedi of the Jhenaidah-2 constituency proposed to reduce administrative expenditure and increase expenditure on educational research.
Education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury said that it is true that many people who live in distant places do not join.
鈥楻ecruitment of teachers through NTRCA is recommended because of High Court orders... This is an obstacle that we are trying to remove by amending the law,鈥� he said.
Regarding the chairmanship of the governing body of MPs in educational institutions, the minister said that a verdict came from the high court regarding the president of the governing body of MPs in the colleges affiliated with the National University.
鈥楧ue to this, members of parliament are not being made presidents. We have already taken steps to appeal against that order,鈥� he said.
The minister, however, did not say anything about allegations of corruption in the education sector.