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Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today assured teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions that they would no longer have to visit government offices or face harassment to receive their retirement and welfare benefits.
He said the government would introduce a system under which their dues would be transferred directly to their bank accounts online and on time, eliminating the need for intermediaries.
“As long as the elected government remains in charge of the state, teachers will no longer have to go from office to office to receive their retirement benefits. We will ensure that their dues are transferred to their bank accounts online on time, without any hassle or the suffering caused by middlemen,” he said.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a function at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka, where he inaugurated the payment of retirement and welfare benefits to teachers and employees of non-government educational institutions.
Under the initiative, 70,119 retired teachers and employees are receiving part of their long-pending benefits from the Non-Government Educational Institutions Teachers and Employees Welfare Trust and the Retirement Benefits Board.
The beneficiaries had been waiting for their dues for nearly four years, with payments from the two funds reportedly remaining suspended since 2022.
Tarique Rahman said the funds had now been transferred directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts, providing relief to thousands of retired teachers and employees who had faced prolonged uncertainty.
Strongly condemning the harassment teachers have allegedly faced in obtaining their legitimate dues, he said educators should never be required to pay bribes or repeatedly visit government offices to receive money owed to them.
“If teachers have to pay bribes or suffer harassment by visiting offices to withdraw their money, it is not merely harassment of teachers; rather, it reflects our failure and disgrace as a nation,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the government had managed to make the payments through an online system despite financial constraints.
Allegations over fund mismanagement
Tarique Rahman alleged that the previous government had weakened the two funds through mismanagement and irregularities, leaving them unable to pay retirement benefits.
He alleged that fake indexes had been created, money from the teachers’ welfare fund had been transferred to weak banks and the funds’ technological infrastructure had been damaged.
“As a result, teachers had not received any money from the funds since 2022,” he said.
He said the BNP government, after taking office, decided to settle the outstanding payments despite the government’s financial constraints, considering the hardship faced by retired teachers.
The government has allocated Tk 2,035 crore and 86 lakh as a one-time payment to clear retirement and welfare benefits accumulated over the past four years.
The payments are being transferred simultaneously to the bank accounts of beneficiaries across all 64 districts.
Applications submitted by teachers and employees seeking benefits from the two funds were scrutinised and processed through the government’s iBAS++ system before the payments were made.
PM recalls Khaleda Zia’s initiatives
The Prime Minister also recalled former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia’s role in establishing the two institutions.
He said the Non-Government Educational Institutions Teachers and Employees Welfare Trust was established in 1991 and the Retirement Benefits Board in 2002 through her initiatives.
According to him, the government initially allocated Tk 14 crore for the welfare fund and gradually increased it to Tk 89 crore, creating the foundation for the benefits system.
Tarique also highlighted Khaleda Zia’s initiatives on education stipends and tuition-free education for female students, describing them as important contributions to expanding access to education.
‘Teachers create all other professions’
Highlighting the contribution of teachers to society, the Prime Minister said teaching was unique because it helped create professionals in every other field.
“Although you have formally retired, your responsibility as teachers has not ended,” he said, stressing their continuing role in promoting moral, social and family values.
“You will continue to serve as beacons of light in society until the last day of your lives,” he added.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Prime Minister’s Education Affairs Adviser and spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office Mahdi Amin, Education Secretary Abdul Khaleque and senior officials were present at the event.