He made these remarks on Saturday (August 15) at an event held at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital, where benefits for the retirement and welfare of private sector teachers and employees were disbursed.
The Prime Minister said that through today's event, 70,119 retired teachers and staff from private schools, colleges, and madrasas across the country received their accumulated contributions from two government funds—after a long gap of four years since 2022.
Paying deep respect to former Prime Minister the late Khaleda Zia, he said that it was her initiative that established the 'Private Educational Institution Teachers and Employees Welfare Trust' in 1991 and the 'Retirement Benefit Board' in 2002 for the welfare of retired teachers. She initially allocated Tk 14 crore from government funds and gradually built a fund of Tk 89 crore, laying a strong foundation for the trust.
The Prime Minister said that the late Khaleda Zia always held a positive attitude towards education, teachers, and students. Her initiatives and role, especially in educating women academically, have received international recognition. The 'Education Stipend and Free Education for Women' programme she introduced is being followed as a model by various countries around the world.
Regarding the two funds, he explained that while teachers contributed monthly amounts, the government also added a matching contribution. The aim was to ensure that every teacher received a substantial amount upon retirement. However, he lamented that despite this noble objective, teachers had to endure immense harassment to withdraw their money after retirement. He noted that an unwritten rule of paying bribes had even emerged. Today, however, we have been able to transfer the money directly to teachers' bank accounts online without any hassle.
The Prime Minister stated that the fallen, defeated, and ousted fascist government plundered every sector, including banks and insurance, and the teachers' welfare fund was no exception. Fake indexes were created, funds were transferred to weak banks to facilitate looting, and the technological infrastructure was destroyed, leaving the fund nearly bankrupt.
He said that if teachers—who instil principles, morality, and ideals in millions of students—are forced to pay bribes or run from office to office to get their own money, it is not only harassment of teachers but also a reflection of the "poverty and degradation" of the nation as a whole.
The Prime Minister assured that as long as the current elected government remains in power, teachers will not have to go from office to office to receive their retirement benefits. They will not have to endure any middlemen. In the coming days, their due benefits will be transferred online to their accounts on time without any trouble, In sha-Allah.
