Over 300 indexed teachers from private institutions held a protest march and human chain at Central Shaheed Minar on Sunday morning, demanding transfers to vacant positions.
Organised by the 'Indexdhari Shkkhokder Bodli-Gonobiggopti Prottyashi Oikyo Porishad’ which is in English 'Unity Council Awaiting Transfer of Indexed Teachers', the teachers marched to the Secretariat and remained until the evening.
Unity Council President Md. Sarwar criticised the government's mutual transfer system, calling it ineffective. He announced plans for further action if their demands are not addressed. Teachers are struggling due to the suspension of a key recruitment circular, forcing many to work far from home and endure high housing costs on their modest salaries.
The teachers said that since 2016, NTRCA has been recommending teachers in private educational institutions through public notices. As a result of recommending upazila-based teachers in the first public notice, many teachers were forced to be appointed in madrasas and technical institutes as there were no vacant posts in their own upazilas. In the second and third public notices, teachers were recommended at the national level according to their merit position.
According to teachers, as per the NTRCA recruitment circular, an indexed teacher can change institutions as per merit position at any age by applying in any subsequent public notification. Therefore, in the second and third public notification, many registered teachers applied from one end of the country to the other end of the country as there were no vacant posts in their area and received recommendations. But suddenly, due to the temporary suspension of Article 7 of the recruitment authority circular 2015, the opportunity to apply for the index holders in the fourth and fifth public notices is also closed. As a result, the indexed teachers are now in trouble. Especially female teachers as well as male teachers are also employed at a distance of 400–500 km from their own upazila through NTRCA, leaving their families and working elsewhere.
The teachers are urging for expedited transfers to fill vacant posts and alleviate their difficulties, highlighting the need for a more effective transfer process.
