The teachers and employees of non-MPO educational institutions started fast unto death on Sunday demanding enlistment under the government's Monthly Payment Order (MPO) facilities.
The teachers under the banner of "Non-MPO Shikkha Pratishthan Shikkhak Karmachari Federation" started the programme in front of National Press Club in the city to realise their demand.
They have been staging a sit-in since Tuesday at the same place for the same demand.
On Saturday, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid urged them to end their agitation and return to their home.
Around 300 teachers started the strike around 9:00 am rejecting the education minister's call to end their agitation.
Talking to the FE, President of Non-MPO Shikkha Pratishthan Shikkhak Karmachari Federation Golam Mahmudun Nabi Dollar said they will not return home until their demand is met.
Earlier, the teachers submitted a memorandum to the prime minister, but they are yet to get any assurance in this regard.
MPO is the government's share in the payroll of the non-government educational institutions. Under the scheme, the government gives 100 per cent basic salaries to the teachers of non-government schools.
The teachers also get a lump sum amount as other allowances from the MPO.
As per rules, the educational institutions first come under MPO facilities and then the government enlists the teachers in the payroll.
According to the leaders of the federation, the number of non-MPO educational institutions is 5,242 where around 80,000 teachers are working without any pay, some for more than a decade.
This is because the schools do not have the ability to pay the teachers while the government stopped enlisting the institutions for MPO due to "fund crisis".
After a suspension of six years by the then BNP-led alliance government, the Awami League-led government revived the MPO facility in 2010 as per its election pledge, enlisting 1,624 private secondary and higher secondary schools and colleges in the MPO scheme.
The rest of non-MPO teachers have been staging protests since then.
Currently, more than 400,000 teachers and employees of more than 26,340 secondary schools, colleges, madrashas and technical institutes are receiving MPO facilities.
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