Teaching can never be an ‘Option of Last Resort’

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said that preserving the dignity of teachers in society enhances the image of the state.

He made the remarks Monday afternoon at a discussion organized at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in Dhaka to mark World Teachers’ Day 2026. The event, organized by the Ministry of Education, honored 102 distinguished teachers from across the country, ranging from university professors to primary school teachers.

The prime minister said the government has taken a range of measures to ensure the financial security of teachers at the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels and to make teaching a competitive profession in terms of both opportunities and social prestige.

“Teaching can never be an ‘option of last resort’ or simply another job,” he said. “We are restructuring the recruitment process and the education system so that the most talented people choose teaching as their first career choice.”

Speaking about new guidelines for inviting teachers to state events marking national days, Rahman said that, beginning this year, instructions have been issued to ensure that at least one teacher from every primary and secondary school is mandatorily invited to major national events, such as Independence Day and Victory Day celebrations, based on a formal policy.

He also said instructions have been issued to ensure that current and retired teachers do not have to visit government offices to collect their salaries and retirement benefits, with the payments to be transferred to their bank accounts on schedule.

Discussing the modernization of the education system, the prime minister said sixth-grade students are being given a new textbook titled “Learning with Happiness” this year.

Emphasizing technical and practical education, he urged the use of technology not as a substitute for teachers but as a “strength of teachers.” He said the government is moving forward with the “One Teacher, One Tablet” program toward that goal.

At the event, the prime minister presented each of the 102 honored teachers with Tk 200,000, a crest and a certificate.

The recipients included 10 teachers from the primary level, 20 from secondary schools, 25 from colleges, 20 from general universities, 13 from medical and agricultural universities, seven from engineering and specialized universities, and seven teachers nominated by the prime minister.

The discussion was chaired by Education Minister A N M Ehsanul Haque. Also speaking were State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, Prime Minister’s Education Affairs Adviser Mahdi Amin, Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Education Chairman Principal Selim Bhuiyan, National Professor Mahbubullah, and Education Secretary Abdul Khaleque.