8,486 teachers’ posts vacant in technical educational institutions

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon on Sunday told Parliament that 8,486 posts of teachers remain vacant in the country's technical education institutions against a total of 15,844 approved positions.

Responding to separate questions from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Nurul Islam of Chapainawabganj-3 and National Citizens Party (NCP) MP Md Abdul Hasnat of Cumilla-4, the minister said requisitions have already been sent to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking recommendations for the recruitment of 2,204 teachers.

The replies were tabled during the question-answer session of the House with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair.

The minister said 7,074 teachers are currently serving in technical educational institutions under the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, leaving 8,486 positions vacant.

He said instructors (Grade-9) and junior instructors (Grade-10) are recruited through the PSC based on the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) cadre and non-cadre examinations.

The PSC has already recommended the appointment of 97 cadre and 349 non-cadre teachers from the 45th BCS examination and they will be appointed after completion of police verification, the minister said.

Milon also said vacant posts are filled through promotion whenever possible but promotions could not be made to 4,131 promotional posts because there were no eligible personnel in feeder positions.

In reply to a question from NCP MP Abdullah Al Amin of Narayanganj-4, the minister said a new textbook titled Technical Education will be introduced for Class VI students in the general education stream from the 2027 academic year.

He said the initiative aims to equip students with practical skills and provide them with knowledge about technical education, employment opportunities and higher education prospects.

The minister further said another new Class VI textbook, Learning with Happiness, will also be introduced from the 2027 academic year to make learning more enjoyable and participatory while fostering creativity, innovation, self-expression and the overall development of students' talents.

Responding to another question from Abdullah Al Amin, Milon said mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE) has already been introduced for indigenous communities in the hill districts to overcome language barriers.

He said training for teachers has begun in five languages—Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo and Sadri—which is expected to improve learning outcomes for indigenous students.

Replying to a question from MP Sheikh Manjurul Haque of Bagerhat-2, the minister said the education ministry has taken steps to clear outstanding MPO salary and allowance arrears of teachers and employees affected by criminal cases filed during the previous Awami League government.

He said eligible applicants who submit the required documents under the prescribed procedures will have their arrears considered in accordance with existing rules.

Answering questions from ruling party MP Lutfur Rahman of Cox's Bazar-3 and MP Lutfullahel Majed of Mymensingh-8, the minister said Bangladesh currently has 174 universities including 56 public, 116 private and two international universities.

Of the public universities, 30 are general universities, 18 are science and technology universities, while eight are specialised institutions, including engineering, agricultural and medical universities.

In response to another question from Nurul Islam, the minister said the Non-Government Teachers and Employees Retirement Benefits Board has a total of 80,320 applications, including 64,775 pending applications submitted up to June 30, 2025, and an estimated 15,545 new applications during the 2025-26 fiscal year.

He said approximately Tk96.38 billion is required to settle all applications, while the board expects to generate only 24.62 billion taka in the current fiscal year, leaving a funding shortfall of around 71.76 billion taka. At present, nearly 59,820 applications are awaiting disposal.

Replying to a question from MP Abdus Sattar of Nilphamari-1, the minister said Bangladesh currently has three government and 8,229 non-MPO madrasas.

In response to a question from MP Abul Kalam of Cumilla-9, Milon said the University of Dhaka has continued to make significant progress in education, research, innovation and internationalisation, resulting in notable improvements in global university rankings.

'Govt aims to clear teachers' retirement benefits backlog within 6 months'

Education Minister Milon said the government is committed to ensuring the prompt payment of retirement and welfare benefits to retired teachers and employees of private educational institutions, aiming to clear the existing backlog within six months once the required funds are allocated.

Responding to a question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md Abdul Wares (Gaibandha-5) in Parliament, the minister said around 67,000 applications for retirement benefits are currently pending with the Non-Government Teacher Employee Retirement Benefits Board.

He said each retired teacher or employee receives an average retirement benefit of about 13 lakh taka.

According to Milon, settling all pending applications requires approximately 8,710 crore taka, while the retirement fund currently holds only around 1,300 crore taka, leaving a shortfall of nearly 7,410 crore taka.

He also informed the House that about 45,000 applications have remained pending with the Non-Government Teachers and Employee Welfare Trust since August 2023 to June 21, 2026.

The minister said clearing those applications will require a one-off allocation of around 3,150 crore taka.

He said the government has already initiated measures to address the financial crisis faced by both the retirement benefits board and the welfare trust by arranging the necessary budgetary allocation.

Milon said several administrative reforms have also been undertaken to speed up the settlement process, including reactivating the software system, increasing manpower, expanding online services and introducing direct payments to teachers' and employees' bank accounts through the iBAS++ financial management system.

"If the necessary funds are allocated, it will be possible to dispose of all currently pending retirement benefits applications within six months," he told Parliament.

The minister added that the government's long-term objective is to ensure that retired teachers and employees of private schools, colleges and madrasahs receive their retirement and welfare benefits within three to six months after retirement.

In his question, Abdul Wares highlighted the prolonged suffering of retired teachers of private schools, colleges and madrasahs who have been waiting for years to receive their retirement benefits, and asked whether the government will ensure payments within three to six months of retirement.