Even after fulfilling all the conditions, 11 private primary schools in Bandarban districthave not been nationalized yet for more than 20 years. The inhumane living conditions of 44 teachers of these have been overlooked for 2 decades, teachers complained. The academic future of more than a thousand students is uncertain.
Dhuilyatali private primary school assistant teacherJasim Uddin said he has been working as an assistant teacher since 1996. The then authorities assured nationalization of 30,000 private primary schools step by step. He thought that this time the grief of 20 years of his service lifewill be alleviated. He collected all the documents in the hope that the application was made through the appropriate authority. But nationalization has not been seen yet. If the school is not nationalized, he will have to retire empty handed, he added.
Md Abdul Hai, an assistant teacher at Mashabnia Private Primary School, said he had been teaching without proper payment for ten years and is already feeling helpless as he had passed the age limit for applying for a government job.
Even then, he is counting the days in the hope that one day these schoolswill be nationalized. Lal Ram Noam Bom, a teacher at Hebron Para Private Primary School, said, "I have been teaching students without pay since 2007 in the hope that the Prime Minister will look into the matter."
After visiting, it was seen that most of the schools aresemi-finished and there are no primary schools within 3 to 15 kilometers around the school and some schools are 10 kilometers to 30 kilometers away from the district town and other schools are in remote areas at equal distances from the upazila town.
Private Primary Schools are in Bandarban Sadar Upazila are Khamankhyangwa Private Primary School, Empu Para Private Primary School, Mashabnia Private Primary School, Hebron Para Private Primary School, Reni Para Private Primary School, Lama Upazila - Nunarbil Private Primary School, School, Dhuilla Para Private Primary School, Community Center Private Primary School, Naikhyangchhari Upazila - Shail Shakti Private Primary School, Kacrop Jumkhola Private Primary School.44 teachers are working in three upazilas and 1193 students are studying in these schools.
In a letter signed by Deputy Secretary Nuzhat Yasmin from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on February 3, 2018, the district verification and selection committee was asked to submit a report on the nationalization of private primary schools in Bandarban district. The meeting was held on 16 August 2018 under the chairmanship of Administrator (now Additional Secretary) Dilip Kumar Banik.
At the meeting it was decided to send all the information of private primary schools in the form of table to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. Bandarban ParbatyaZila Parishad Chairman Kya Shai Hla sent a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on 18 February 2018 requesting to take steps to nationalize 11 private primary schools. Minister for the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Bir Bahadur Ushwe Singrequested for the nationalization of 11 private primary schools on September 3, 2016 through a DO letter to the Minister for Primary and Mass Education.
Asked about the progress of nationalization of 11 private primary schools, Shafiul Alam, district primary education officer, said on his mobile phone that he was not aware of 11 private primary schools. He declined to comment further.
Bandarban district is the most backward in education compared to other districts. Due to geographical reasons, the distance from one neighborhood to another is much greater.
Concerned locals and teachers of 11 private primary schools have appealed to the Prime Minister to nationalize the schools on humanitarian grounds.
