Education Minister Dr. ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon informed Parliament on Sunday that 8,486 teacher positions remain vacant across the country’s technical education institutions, representing a significant staffing gap against a total of 15,844 approved posts.

Responding to inquiries from Jamaat-e-Islami MP Md. Nurul Islam and National Citizens Party (NCP) MP Md. Abdul Hasnat, the minister confirmed that requisitions have been sent to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) to recruit 2,204 teachers.

Currently, 7,074 teachers are serving in technical institutions under the Technical and Madrasah Education Division.

Explaining the recruitment process, the minister noted that instructors (Grade-9) and junior instructors (Grade-10) are appointed through PSC-conducted BCS cadre and non-cadre examinations, adding that the PSC has already recommended 97 cadre and 349 non-cadre teachers from the 45th BCS examination, who will be appointed following police verification.

Furthermore, while the government prioritizes filling vacancies through internal promotion, the minister clarified that 4,131 such posts remain unfilled due to a lack of eligible candidates in feeder positions.

Looking toward the 2027 academic year, the minister announced plans to integrate technical skills into the general education stream by introducing a new textbook titled Technical Education for Class VI students, intended to familiarize them with employment and higher education opportunities.

Additionally, a new Class VI textbook, Learning with Happiness, will be launched in 2027 to foster creativity, innovation and participatory learning.

Regarding indigenous education, the minister stated that mother tongue-based multilingual education (MLE) has been introduced in hill districts, with teacher training currently underway in five languages: Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Garo, and Sadri.

Addressing concerns over financial arrears, the minister confirmed that the Education Ministry has initiated steps to clear outstanding Monthly Pay Order (MPO) salary and allowance arrears for teachers and employees who were affected by criminal cases filed during the previous Awami League government, provided they submit the necessary documentation.

Providing an overview of the nation's higher education landscape, the minister stated that Bangladesh currently hosts 174 universities, comprising 56 public, 116 private, and two international institutions.

The public sector includes 30 general universities, 18 science and technology universities, and eight specialized institutions focused on engineering, agriculture, and medicine.

In addressing the significant backlog in retirement benefits, the minister reported that the Non-Government Teachers and Employees Retirement Benefits Board is currently managing 80,320 applications—consisting of 64,775 pending cases from before June 30, 2025 and 15,545 new applications from the 2025-26 fiscal year.

While settling these claims requires approximately BDT 96.38 billion, the board anticipates generating only BDT 24.62 billion this fiscal year, resulting in a funding shortfall of BDT 71.76 billion, with nearly 59,820 applications currently awaiting disposal.

Finally, the minister noted that Bangladesh has three government madrasas and 8,229 non-MPO madrasas and he highlighted that the University of Dhaka has made notable strides in education, research, and internationalization, leading to improved global rankings.