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Hundreds of public university teachers in Bangladesh have failed to return to their posts even years after their approved study leave expired, raising concerns over accountability, financial losses, and growing academic disruptions.
Many of these teachers left the country for higher studies—mainly in the United States and other Western countries—after signing mandatory bonds committing to return upon completion of their study leave.
In return, they received salaries, allowances, and other benefits during their time abroad. However, a significant number have not come back, ignoring repeated notices from their respective universities.
Officials say the unpaid dues owed by these teachers have now crossed hundreds of crores of taka. Despite this, allegations have emerged against university administrations over negligence, poor coordination, and inadequate record-keeping. In many cases, institutions lack accurate data on outstanding payments.
A notable example is Jahangirnagar University teacher Mohammad Faisal Jamal, who went to the United States in 2015 for a master’s degree and has yet to return, leaving nearly Tk 4.9 million unpaid. Similarly, Barishal University teacher Jisan Ahmed, who left in 2016, owes around Tk 3.7 million.
The trend has reportedly intensified in recent years, with some politically affiliated teachers leaving the country following political changes, while others have settled abroad with their families. At the same time, hundreds more remain overseas on legitimate study leave for PhD, postdoctoral research, and fellowships, contributing to a shortage of teachers across universities.
At Dhaka University alone, more than 300 teachers were reported to be abroad for higher studies and research as of 2022, spread across over 130 universities in 16 countries. However, current figures remain unclear as the administration has not disclosed updated data.
At Jagannath University, 28 teachers have failed to rejoin despite their leave ending, with over Tk 90 million in dues still unpaid.
Authorities say repeated attempts to contact them have gone unanswered, while coordination gaps between administrative departments have slowed recovery efforts.
Jahangirnagar University also reports that at least 24 teachers who went abroad between 2010 and 2015 have not returned, with outstanding dues exceeding Tk 31.5 million.
Although some teachers have been dismissed for violating their contracts, the overall trend shows no signs of slowing. Experts warn that without strict policy enforcement, effective monitoring, and legal action, the problem could worsen.
The prolonged absence of teachers is already affecting academic activities, causing disruptions in classes, examinations, and research, and putting additional pressure on the country’s higher education system.
