Massive corruption allegations over MPO enlistment of 1,719 edu instts

As the interim government approaches the end of its tenure, an unprecedented rush to bring private educational institutions under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme has triggered serious allegations of corruption and administrative misconduct.
 
Within just eight working days from January 26 to February 5, the Ministry of Education finalised a list approving 1,719 private educational institutions for MPO enlistment-despite absence of long-term planning or transparent verification. 

Following this hurried process, the ministry has already sought an additional annual allocation of Tk 670.13 crore from the Finance Ministry to cover salaries and allowances of the new MPO teachers.

As criticism mounts within administrative circles, observers note that no senior official has publicly addressed the allegations, intensifying concerns over transparency, accountability, and the long-term financial impact on the national exchequer.

Senior officials within the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), speaking on condition of anonymity, allege that the MPO enlistment process involved hundreds of crores of taka in illegal transactions. According to these claims, huge amounts of bribes per institution were allegedly paid. 

Official data shows that 3,615 applications were submitted online between January 14 and January 25. From January 26 to February 5, the MPO Committee of the Ministry of Education completed verification of all applications-an average of 452 institutions per day.