MPO seekers postpone demo for 3 months
Nahid assures taking up their demand with higher authorities
The agitating teachers and employees of non-MPO educational institutions yesterday suspended their demonstrations, including the fast-unto-death, for three months.
The announcement of suspension came following a meeting between leaders of Non-MPO Shikkha Pratishthan Shikkhak Karmachari Oikya Jote and Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid at latter's residence in the capital yesterday afternoon.
The Jote President Esharat Ali said the minister assured them that he will take up the issue of incorporating their institutions in the monthly payment order (MPO) list with the higher authorities, including finance ministry within three months.
"We suspended our programmes for three months as we found sincerity of the minister towards our demand. Besides, he [the education minister] sought some time mentioning the government's fund crisis," he said.
After the meeting, Nahid also talked to journalists and said, "We would sit again after three months to review the issues."
"So, I would request them to return home and hope that they will join their work soon," he said.
All the issues were discussed at the meeting and both sides tried to understand each other, he added.
Under the banner of the jote, the teachers and employees have been agitating since January 7 to press home their demand to include their institutions in the MPO list.
But, they faced obstruction from the law enforcers to hold their demonstrations. Even, police clashed with them charging batons, firing rubber bullets and tear shells, and a liquid spray during their protest.
According to the jote leaders, over 100,000 teachers and employees of around 7,000 non-government secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and technical educational institutions have been deprived of MPO facilities for long.
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