The Supreme Court has ruled that 30,000 primary school headteachers will be granted the status of gazetted officers and will receive a salary in the 10th grade.
In a landmark ruling on Thursday, March 13, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refat Ahmed, granted 30,000 primary school headteachers in Bangladesh the status of gazetted officers in the second class, with their salaries to be fixed at the 10th grade.
The ruling came after a petition was filed on behalf of the teachers by senior lawyer Barrister Salahuddin Dolon. In his arguments, Dolon explained that on March 9, 2014, then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had upgraded the position of primary school headteacher to second-class status, and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education issued a notification. However, the Ministry had assigned different salary grades to trained and untrained teachers, with trained teachers being given the 11th grade and untrained teachers the 12th grade.
Liberty News’ court correspondent states that previously, on February 25, 2019, the High Court had directed the government to implement the gazetted officer status and 10th-grade salary scale for primary school headteachers, effective from March 9, 2014.
LND/BG
