Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami on Monday strongly condemned and protested the move by the Ministry of Education to hand over the authority to recruit entry-level teachers in private schools, colleges and madrasahs to the managing committees of the respective institutions.

In a statement, Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said if the government implements the decision, there is a risk that the old cycle of corruption, nepotism, political influence and bribery in the recruitment of teachers at private MPO-listed educational institutions will become active again.

“Recruiting qualified, meritorious and competent teachers is one of the main conditions for ensuring quality education. If the responsibility for teacher recruitment is handed over to the managing committees of educational institutions, it will create opportunities for political and local influence, and financial transactions in teacher recruitment,” he said.

The Jamaat leader further said the existing system of recommending teachers for private MPO-listed educational institutions through the Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) has given greater importance to merit, qualifications and competitive examinations.

“As a result, candidates have had the opportunity to get appointed as teachers based on their own qualifications, while transparency and accountability in the recruitment process have been ensured to a considerable extent. At the same time, this process has enhanced the professional dignity of teachers,” he said.

However, instead of removing the limitations and complexities of the existing recruitment system and making it more transparent, effective and practical, handing over the authority to recruit teachers to managing committees again will create opportunities for irregularities and corruption in teacher recruitment as in the past, Porwar said.

He particularly expressed concern that allegations of political influence, nepotism, recruitment in exchange for money and interference by locally influential people could resurface.

“A teacher must be recruited on the basis of merit, qualifications, skills and professional competence. Because quality education cannot be ensured without qualified teachers,” the Jamaat secretary general said.

“Therefore, we strongly urge the government to cancel the decision to introduce entry-level teacher recruitment through managing committees at private MPO-listed educational institutions,” he said.