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Published : 12 Jun 2025, 08:52 AM
More than five months after the interim government pledged to nationalise independent Ebtedayee madrasahs in the face of fierce teacher protests, not a single institution has been brought under Monthly Pay Order (MPO) coverage, let alone nationalised.
The promised reform remains stalled in bureaucracy, leaving thousands of teachers unpaid and disillusioned.
Teachers, many of whom have been working for years on nominal stipends, say they are disheartened by the delay in implementing what was a long-awaited promise.
The education ministry claims the process is well under way. A draft of the new MPO policy has been prepared and sent to the finance ministry for approval. Data collection from madrasahs has also begun as part of the preparation.
According to official figures, Bangladesh has 1,519 grant-recipient independent Ebtedayee madrasahs. Head teachers in these institutions receive a monthly stipend of Tk 5,000, and assistant teachers Tk 3,000—paid quarterly.
Another 5,932 independent Ebtedayee madrasahs operate without any government assistance.
Ebtedayee madrasahs offer a blend of Islamic and general education under the Alia madrasah system and are considered equivalent to primary schools.
Established in 1984, these religious schools have operated for four decades, yet their teachers continue to live in economic hardship.
Many educators report completing their entire careers without receiving any state benefits, despite nationalisation efforts for primary schools dating back to 1973.
In 2013 alone, 26,000 primary schools were brought under government control.
Amid Bangladesh’s shifting political landscape, Ebtedayee madrasah teachers intensified their protests.
During one march, police used batons and water cannons on elderly teachers—a moment that drew widespread public outrage.
On Jan 28, amid mounting pressure, Joint Secretary of the Technical and Madrasahh Education Division SM Masudul Haque announced the government’s plan to nationalise the Ebtedayee madrasahs in phases.
PROGRESS SO FAR
Asked for an update, Masudul told bdnews24.com: “We’ve sent a proposal to the finance ministry to include the grant-recipient Ebtedayee madrasahs in the MPO scheme. That will require funding, which we’ve also requested.”
“Once the finance ministry gives the green light, we’ll begin processing salaries for the teachers.”
To prepare, the Madrasah Division has directed district administrators to collect detailed data on the 1,519 grant-funded madrasahs.
Additional Secretary Saiful Islam said, “We’re collecting data in advance so that once the government approves, we can begin MPO inclusion without delay.”
POLICY FRAMEWORK READY
The first policy framework on staff structure and teacher salaries for Ebtedayee madrasahs was drafted in 2018 but was never implemented.
Now, a new draft policy has been finalised, Masudul confirmed.
“The draft policy has been sent to the finance ministry. Once approved, it will be formally issued.”
The new policy proposes:
· Head teachers be placed in Grade 11
· Teachers, Quran instructors (Qari), and religious scholars (Moulvi) be placed in Grade 13
· Each madrasah will have seven staff positions: one headteacher, five assistant roles (two general teachers, one Moulvi, one Qari), and one office assistant, who will be in Grade 20.
NATIONWIDE DATA COLLECTION
On May 5, deputy commissioners (DCs) were instructed to submit data on the 1,519 grant-funded madrasahs.
Madrasah Division’s Senior Assistant Secretary Asgar Ali told bdnews24.com, “We’re trying to do something for these madrasahs, but we don’t have much data on them yet. That’s why we started this collection drive.”
Additional Secretary Saiful said the data would help set clear MPO inclusion criteria:
“We need to define the eligibility benchmarks—data will help us identify which institutions meet the requirements.”
The letter to DCs requested:
· Educational Institute Identification Number (EIIN)
· Date of first grant received
· Land ownership details
· Teacher qualifications
· Student numbers by grade for the past three years
· Proximity to nearest madrasah
· Bank account details, reserve funds, and infrastructure status
FRUSTRATED TEACHERS
Before stepping down on Mar 5, former education advisor, now Planning Advisor Wahiduddin Mahmud approved the MPO proposal for Ebtedayee madrasahs, which was then forwarded to the Chief Advisor’s Office (CAO).
Secretary General of Ebtedayee Madrasah Shikkha Unnayan Bangladesh Rezaul Haque said during an Apr 26 event in Dhaka, “We demand implementation of the Jan 28 nationalisation announcement. Though the former education advisor approved MPO inclusion for Ebtedayee madrasahs, there’s been no progress.”
“The policy was supposed to be issued by the 31st of March, why wasn’t it? May was cited as the start for MPO inclusion, followed by all registered madrasahs in June and July. But that hasn’t happened.”
He added that the government was now including “attached” Ebtedayee madrasah--those operating under the same name or premises as Dakhil, Alim, or Fazil madrasahs--in the same proposal, delaying the process further.
Shamsul Alam, secretary general of the Swatantra Ebtedayee Madrasah Shikkhok Oikyo Jote, told bdnews24.com: “Initially, both attached and independent Ebtedayee madrasahs were included in the same file sent to the chief advisor. That file was returned with a query, causing delays.”
“The final proposal included only the independent madrasahs, as originally intended. The nationalisation commitment was for them alone. Including attached ones inflated the budget and dragged out the process.”
Masudul acknowledged this. “We sent a combined proposal to the Chief Advisor’s Office. They returned it, asking us to resubmit—this time only with the advisor’s approval—before forwarding it to the finance ministry,” he said.
MAY SALARY STILL PENDING
Shamsul said teachers were promised MPO-scale salaries starting from May, but they are still unpaid.
“These teachers have been neglected for 40 years. The meagre stipends are not enough. We urge the government to begin salaries from May.”
Masudul said: “Though there’s a slight delay, we’re trying to ensure payments start from May. Disbursing salaries will require Tk 98.4 million.
“We have surplus funds from the previous budget and have sought Tk 84.4 million more from the finance ministry for May salaries.”
NO FRESH APPLICATIONS NEEDED
Masudul confirmed that teachers at these madrasahs would not need to reapply for MPO inclusion, unlike staff at schools, colleges, or technical institutions.
“We already have payroll data at the Madrasah Education Directorate. We’re collecting institutional data, which we’ll cross-check before processing salaries.”
MPO WILL COST TK 100 MILLION MONTHLY
Though 1,519 madrasahs are on record, only 1,338 currently receive grants for 4,437 teachers. The remaining 181 madrasahs largely operate on self-funding.
Current stipend payments cost Tk 14.8 million per month. Once MPO-included, that figure will jump to around Tk 98.4 million monthly.
WHAT ABOUT FULL NATIONALISATION?
Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman, chairman of the Swatantra Ebtedayee Madrasah Shikkhok Oikyo Jote, told bdnews24.com: “We launched our movement demanding nationalisation. We welcome the MPO step but expect it to lead to full nationalisation.”
Masudul said, “Once madrasahs are MPO-included, they’ll be held accountable. Currently, many lack oversight, and some barely exist.
“After MPO inclusion, we’ll send a proposal for nationalisation to the Advisory Council. That might require new legislation.”
He added, “We’ve reviewed the 2013 files from when 26,000 primary schools were nationalised. Based on that, we might just need a two-page law.”
“Initially, MPO inclusion will cover the 1,519 grant-recipient independent Ebtedayee madrasahs. Only then will the nationalisation process begin.
