Court Orders Pension Within 6 Months, Ministry Cites Fund Crunch

Fresh tensions have erupted over pensions for MPO-enlisted teachers in private educational institutions. Following the court's directive, all teachers must receive their pension benefits within six months of retirement. However, the Education Ministry has stated that the order cannot be implemented due to a lack of necessary funding. The ministry is preparing to challenge the matter legally.

Relevant officials from the Education Ministry informed that no required allocation has been made for this sector in the current fiscal year. As a result, implementing the court's directive is not feasible.

On condition of anonymity, a top ministry official told The Daily Campus, "The ministry does not have sufficient funds at present to provide pensions. Nearly Tk 9,000 crore is needed to clear the pending applications from the Retirement Benefit Board and Welfare Trust. The government has allocated Tk 2,200 crore, but only Tk 200 crore can be utilized from it. Consequently, the court's directive cannot be implemented."

The official further said, "The court has issued a full-fledged directive. We will discuss the matter with our legal officers and address it through legal means."

Earlier, on September 2, the Supreme Court published a 13-page full judgment on its website. Prior to that, on February 22, 2024, the High Court had ordered retirement benefits within six months for over 500,000 MPO-enlisted teachers and staff in private educational institutions.

In the verdict, the court observed that teachers have to wander for years to receive their retirement benefits and cannot escape this harassment. The salary a primary-level teacher receives must also be considered. Therefore, their retirement allowance must be provided within six months.

The court also remarked that teachers cannot afford to go door-to-door for years to obtain their retirement allowance.

Many retired teachers and staff have reported that they are deprived of pension benefits for months, and in some cases, years. This has plunged them into severe crises in meeting medical expenses, daily needs, and family responsibilities.

Educationists believe that using budget shortages as an excuse to deprive teachers and staff of their rights is unacceptable. In their view, the current crisis has arisen because the education sector has not been prioritized, while excessive spending has been directed to other sectors.

According to them, failure to implement the court's directive will negatively impact teachers' professionalism and societal respect. At the same time, the younger generation may lose interest in the teaching profession.