HC Orders to Rank Primary Headmaster as 2nd Class Gazetted Officer

Headmasters of government primary schools in the country will get the rank of second-class gazetted officer. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the judgment of the High Court with the rank of Gazetted Officer of the second class by promoting them to the tenth grade. As a result, about 52,000 teachers in the country will get this facility, said the lawyers.

The Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Fayez Siddiqui on Thursday (January 6th) passed the verdict on the appeal against the High Court's verdict.

Senior lawyer Salauddin Dolan appeared for the petitioners in the court.

Earlier, on February 25, 2019, the High Court directed that the pay scale of government primary school headmasters be upgraded to tenth grade and given gazetted status. In both the trained and untrained cases, the gazetted rank has been directed to be effective from March 9, 2014, including raising the pay scale to tenth grade. Following the final hearing of the writ petition, the High Court bench comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Khizir Ahmed Chowdhury passed the order.

The High Court also directed the Accounting Office to empower the Ion-Expenditure Officer to take the salaries, allowances and other financial benefits of the headmasters.

Lawyer Salahuddin Dolan was present at the hearing for the writ petition.

He said, "On March 9, 2014, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a landmark announcement promoted the post of headmaster of government primary school to second class and on the same day the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education issued a notification. But then the ministry strategically fixed the salary scale of the head teachers as 11th grade for the trainees and 12th grade for the untrained. But non-cadre second-class posts, second-class officials in other ministries or departments are paid in the tenth grade of the national pay scale.

Riaz Parvez, president of the Bangladesh Government Primary School Headmasters' Association, said the writ petition was filed on behalf of the headmasters challenging the validity of the ministry's order. After hearing the writ, the rule was issued and after hearing the rule, the High Court gave its verdict.