Why Must Retired Teachers Wait for Their Dues?

After retirement, one of the greatest expectations of a person is to receive, on time, the financial benefits accumulated through a lifetime of service. Yet for many MPO-enlisted teachers and employees of Bangladesh’s private educational institutions, retirement often marks the beginning of another long wait. Throughout their careers, contributions have been regularly deducted from their salaries. They have spent years teaching students and fulfilling their responsibilities. Yet after retirement, many have to wait for years to receive money to which they are entitled. Why has such a long backlog developed in the retirement and welfare benefit system?

This is not merely an administrative problem. It directly affects the livelihoods, medical expenses, children’s education and financial security of thousands of retired teachers and employees.

On June 28, 2026, Education Minister Ahsanul Haque Milon told Parliament that around 67,000 applications were pending with the Non-Government Teachers’ Retirement Benefit Board. Approximately Tk8,710 crore was required to settle these claims, while the retirement fund had around Tk1,300 crore, leaving a shortfall of roughly Tk7,410 crore. At the same time, around 45,000 applications were awaiting settlement with the Welfare Trust, requiring approximately Tk3,150 crore.

Teachers and employees contribute 6 per cent of their basic salaries to the retirement fund and 4 per cent to the welfare fund. Yet recent reports indicate that approximately Tk104 crore is collected every month for retirement benefits, while around Tk210 crore is required to meet monthly payment needs.

In August 2026, the government took an initiative to release part of the retirement benefits for 70,119 teachers and employees, involving approximately Tk1,550 crore. Around Tk647 crore was also released against 53,477 welfare benefit applications. At a programme held on August 15, many teachers and employees who had applied since 2022 were given an opportunity to receive at least part of their contributions after waiting for several years.

But does this mean the problem is over? Certainly not.

Approximately Tk9,730 crore was required to pay the full retirement benefits of 70,119 beneficiaries, while the Board had only around Tk1,755 crore at the time. Partial payment may provide immediate relief, but it is not a permanent financial solution.

There is also confusion surrounding the financial position of the funds. Some claims suggest that huge sums are lying in them, while others point to deficits running into thousands of crores. Both cannot be true for the same fund and period. What is urgently needed is a comprehensive and publicly accessible financial statement.

The Retirement Benefit Board and Welfare Trust should regularly disclose their total assets, cash holdings, fixed deposits, government securities, monthly contributions, investment income, expenditure, pending applications and total liabilities. If allegations of misappropriation or hidden funds are made, the relevant documents, audit reports and financial records should be made public. Allegations should not be made without evidence, but if any irregularity is proven, those responsible must face appropriate action.

Yet the retired teacher must remain at the centre of the discussion.

A teacher spends the most productive years of his or her life educating and preparing future generations. If, after retirement, that teacher has to travel repeatedly to Dhaka, submit documents again and again and wait outside offices simply to receive lawful dues, it is not merely an institutional weakness. It is a serious failure of public service delivery. Some retirees have reportedly waited several years, while some have died before receiving their dues.

The way forward is clear. First, the total financial liabilities of the retirement and welfare systems must be determined and a realistic long-term financial plan formulated. Second, the national budget should provide a specific allocation each fiscal year to cover projected funding gaps. Third, information on contributions, investments, returns and expenditure should be published regularly. Fourth, a clear time limit should be established for processing and settling applications.
Fifth, the iBAS++ and online systems should be made fully functional so that retirees do not have to visit one office after another. Sixth, a permanent funding mechanism combining regular contributions with adequate government support should be established so that new retirees do not become part of another growing backlog.

This is not a matter of charity or government generosity. The money deducted from teachers’ and employees’ salaries over many years, along with the benefits payable under the applicable rules, constitutes their legitimate entitlement. The government’s partial disbursement is significant, but temporary payment cannot be treated as a permanent solution.

When a teacher retires, he or she should be able to enter the final chapter of life with reasonable financial security. If that teacher has to sit in an office corridor, sometimes in poor health, waiting for money accumulated through a lifetime of service, the question is not merely, “When will the money be paid?”

The deeper question is: Why should a person have to wait so long to receive what is rightfully theirs?

The crisis facing the Retirement Benefit Board and Welfare Trust is therefore not simply a matter of balancing accounts. It is also a crisis of trust, management and accountability. What is needed now is transparent financial reporting, independent auditing, adequate government funding and accountable administration.

Teachers spend their entire professional lives building the future of others. The least they deserve is the assurance that their own final years will not be consumed by uncertainty and endless waiting for money that is rightfully theirs.

The writer is Assistant Professor and Head, Department of Sociology, Rosey Mozammel Women’s Honours College, Natore