The interim government has decided to increase the house rent allowance for MPO-listed teachers and staff of non-government educational institutions to 15% of their basic salary following their continuous protests.

According to the decision, the allowance will be implemented in two phases – 7.5% from November this year and another 7.5% from 1 July 2026. The Finance Division has already given conditional approval to this arrangement, officials confirmed.

Sources at the Ministry of Education said that an official circular in this regard will be issued soon.

Teachers and employees of non-government MPO-listed institutions have been on a hunger strike since yesterday (20 October), demanding a 20% increase in their house rent allowance. They had also given a two-day ultimatum to Education Adviser Professor CR Abrar to meet their demands.

Today (21 October), around noon, teachers wearing black cloths over their mouths marched from the Central Shaheed Minar to Shahbagh as part of their sit-in demonstration.

A delegation of teachers later met with the education adviser at his office in the secretariat, where he informed them about the government’s decision to raise the house rent allowance.

Teachers of MPO-listed non-government educational institutions entered the ninth consecutive day of their protest yesterday (20 October), staging a fast-unto-death and rally at the Central Shaheed Minar after rejecting the government’s newly announced 5% house rent allowance based on basic salary.

The demonstration intensified as several teachers collapsed due to the heat while participating in the hunger strike.

The protesters categorically rejected the Ministry of Finance’s notification, issued on 19 October, which set the house rent allowance to 5% of the basic salary (minimum Tk2,000), which they called an “injustice”.

The teachers remain firm on their three core demands: increasing the house rent allowance to 20%, providing a full festival allowance (instead of the current partial amount), and increasing the medical allowance to Tk1,500.

Meanwhile, hundreds of teachers and employees from various districts across the country have poured into the Central Shaheed Minar area to join the rally and strike.

Reason behind the protest

Teachers from MPO-listed schools, colleges, madrasahs, and technical education institutions across the country continued their sit-in and work abstention since 12 October, demanding the issuance of a government order to increase their allowances.

The sit-in follows an ultimatum issued by them on 13 August, demanding the nationalisation of MPO-listed private educational institutions along with increased benefits.

While the ministry reportedly agreed in principle to increase house rent to 20% and medical allowance from Tk500 to Tk1,000, it cited budget constraints and stated that implementation would be gradual.

The teachers, who have reportedly been on protest since 2011 for these benefits, are now pushing the interim government to translate the verbal assurances into official gazettes. They warned in August that failure to meet their demands would result in a continuous occupation of the press club area.