Teachers in clutch of moneylenders

Tobarak Ali, teacher of Nitai Government Primary School in Kishoreganj upazila, committed suicide two years ago as he could not meet the demand of a moneylender with his total retirement benefit.

Abu Jar Gaffari, teacher of Darul Huda Government Primary school in Nilphamari Sadar upazila, died of heart attack a few months back as a moneylender pressed him to repay an amount which was not covered by his retirement benefits. The amount demanded was much more than the amount the teacher had taken.

These and many other starling information came out during investigation by this correspondent on the plight of schoolteachers, now on an indefinite strike to realise their 21-point demand including enhancement of salary and benefits.

Schoolteachers easily fall into the clutches of moneylenders because of the system of payment of their salary, sources in teachers associations in the district said.

Salary of government schoolteachers is paid through banks and the payment is irregular. Teachers are given cheques in advance, which they cash in banks when payments are disbursed, often at intervals of three to four months, said Abdur Rashid Sarkar, general secretary of Nilphamari Sadar upazila unit of Bangladesh Teachers Association.

To meet family expenditure or emergencies, many of the teachers take loan from moneylenders against cheques. Often, teachers sign their cheques in advance and hand over those to moneylenders, who cash them at banks.

The moneylenders realise at least 30 per cent interest per month on the loan. At times, they compel teachers to put their signatures on blank non-judicial stamps and put amounts.

While talking to this correspondent, president of Nilphamari Primary Teachers Association Mejajuddin said around 80 per cent of primary teachers become victims of moneylenders and bow down to their harmful conditions. There are 80 to 90 moneylenders in the district involved with the dishonest business with teachers. It is now a good business.

Last year, a big businessman in Kishoreganj, who is also a moneylender, filed a case against some primary school teachers and realised amounts what he demanded as the teachers refuse to pay so high interest.

Abdul Goni, a former teacher of Dolua Government Primary School in the Sadar upazila, said he took Tk 80,000 loan from a moneylender for treatment of his wife. He surrendered cheques for his monthly salary for two years. But this was not enough. The moneylender claimed Tk 1.5 lakh and threatened to file case. To avoid case, Abdul Gani took voluntary retirement and gave the money to the moneylender.

Bimol Kumar Roy of Sonaroy Government Primary School in the Sadar upazila, Anwar Hossain of Naotara Government Primary School in Dimla and many others in the district did the same thing, Mejajuddin said.

Habibur Rahman, president of Sadar upazila unit of the association alleged that a section of bank employees are involved in the practice. Banks allow moneylenders to cash as many salary cheques of teachers as they like in a day, which is illegal, he said.

He said headmaster of a government primary school having completed masters degree gets a basic salary of only Tk 2850, whereas a SSC pass block supervisor of agriculture department gets a basic salary of Tk 5100.