The immediate past adviser for education ministry, Professor Wahiduudin Mahmud, on Wednesday said that benefits for the non-government teachers under the Monthly Payment Order system would be increased.
鈥楾heir festival, treatment and recreation allowances and house rent will be increased from this Eid-ul-Azha to the next year鈥檚 budget,鈥� he said, adding that聽 a fund was created for paying recruitment benefits to these teachers.
Terming the demands of increased salaries and recruitment facilities as just, he said that a provision was kept in both the current and next year鈥檚 budgets for increasing allowances and house rent of the teachers under the MPO.
Professor Wahiduudin Mahmud made the remarks at the ceremony organised at the ministry鈥檚 conference room to bid him farewell as the education adviser.
The professor, who was adviser for both the education and planning ministries, would from now on lead the planning ministry only.
At the same ceremony Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, widely known as CR Abrar, a retired professor of international relations at Dhaka University and a human rights activist, was welcomed as the new adviser to the ministry.聽
In his farewell speech Wahiduudin reflected on the problems currently plaguing the education sector.
He said that as much allocation as possible would be kept in the budgets of this year and the next year as well for the teachers after consultation with the finance ministry.
鈥楤ut the deprivation of 15鈥�20 years cannot be met in merely one or two years鈥� budgets,鈥� he said, 鈥榖ut it needs to start. We are starting it.鈥�
The adviser also called the demand of the retired non-government teachers under the MPO system for their retirement and welfare benefits as absolutely just demand.
鈥楤ut their fund was intentionally kept in a bank where there is no money at present,鈥� he said, adding that some of the fund went elsewhere.
The professor also mentioned that the students would get all textbooks by March 10.
After taking oath at Bangabhaban in the morning, administered by President Mohammed Shahabuddin, CR Abrar came to the education ministry.
He said in his address at the ceremony that he dreamt of an education system where the students would see their future inside the country and would lead the world from Bangladesh.
鈥業t may not happen in a single day, in one or five years,鈥� he said, adding that for that purpose many initiatives had already been taken to build the foundation.
The new adviser said that he considered education as the most important tool for formation of a discrimination-free society.
Terming the new responsibility as a big challenge, he said that the chief adviser also told him that the journey would not be easy.聽
Senior officials of the education ministry and different departments under it were also present at the ceremony along with the Secondary and Higher Education Division senior secretary Siddique Zobair.