The Independent Ibtedayi Madrasa Unity Alliance has announced that if their six-point demands including the nationalization of all independent ibtedayi madrasas are not met by 5 PM on November 22, they will march toward the Ministry of Education the following day. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the National Press Club, where the organization’s member secretary, Mohammad Al Amin, issued the ultimatum.
According to the leaders, teachers of Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board recognized independent ibtedayi madrasas have been deprived of salaries and allowances for many years. Despite holding a continuous sit-in program in front of the Press Club for 37 days, they have yet to receive any concrete assurance. They emphasized that equal importance must be given to both schools and madrasas in order to achieve quality and inclusive education as outlined in SDG-4.
The speakers noted that since 1984, successive governments have repeatedly made promises about nationalization and MPO enrollment of these institutions but failed to implement any of them. On August 25 last year, the alliance submitted a memorandum to the Chief Adviser, after which the Education Ministry was instructed to take action. Later, in January and again in September, ministry officials promised that the demands would be fulfilled within a month, but no progress has been made.
They also alleged that during past authoritarian regimes, independent ibtedayi madrasas and their teachers faced the most harassment, neglect, and false assurances. Corrupt officials, they said, have forced many teachers to endure inhumane living conditions for years.