The High Court has directed the authorities concerned to pay financial benefits to teachers and staffers of MPO (monthly payment order)-affiliated educational institutions within six months of their retirement.
On Thursday, the HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque delivered the verdict after holding a court hearing on a writ petition to this end.
Teacher Md Abdul Alim and others filed the writ.
Lawyer Siddique Ullah Miah appeared in the hearing on behalf of the petitioners, while lawyer Mamun Chowdhury represented the Non-government Educational Institution Teachers and Employees Welfare Trust.
Mr Siddique said, "The authorities earlier cut 6.0 per cent from the salaries of teachers and others of private educational institutions under MPO until 2017 for giving them retirement benefits."
Later, the government issued two separate gazette notifications for cutting 10 per cent from their salaries.
However, the government did not increase benefits in proportion with the 10 per cent of the amount cut.
The decision aggrieved an estimated 0.5-million teachers and employees of the institutions in question.
"Finally, they filed a petition with the HC on 15 April 2019, challenging the government decision to deduct higher ratio from their salaries without increasing retirement benefits," added Mr Siddique.
Upon hearing the plea, a HC bench on 08 December 2019 issued a rule, asking the respondents to explain why the gazette notifications should not be declared illegal.
Later, following a supplementary petition with another bench issued another rule over giving benefits to the retirees within six months of their retirement.
Upon hearing the rules, the Justice Naima Haider bench disposed of the petition on Thursday.
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