HC stays appointment of 54,000 teachers

The High Court on Thursday stayed the process for appointing around 54,000 teachers to private schools, colleges and madrasas across the country for violating its earlier directives.

The court also ordered the Non-Government Teachers' Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) to recommend in seven days to the authorities concerned of the government to appoint the qualified candidates, who filed contempt of court petitions against the NTRCA.

An HC bench comprising Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman came up with the order while hearing on around 20 contempt of court petitions filed by over 2,000 qualified candidates in 2019.

The HC also asked the NTRCA to submit a report after complying with the directive to the court by May 18.

Petitioners' counsel Mohiuddin Md Hanif told The Daily Star that another HC bench on December 14, 2017--following few hundred writ petitions filed by 17,000 candidates--had directed the government to prepare a merit list of the candidates who have passed the registration test for appointment as teachers to private schools and colleges.

The NTRCA had been asked to make the merit list in 90 days after receiving the HC directive.

The court had also ordered the NTRCA to give registration-passed certificates to the candidates after it prepares the list and ruled that their certificates will remain in force until they are appointed as teachers.

As the NTRCA has not complied with the directive, around 2,000 candidates filed more than 20 contempt of court petitions with the HC in 2019 against the NTRCA.

Following the petitions, the HC on different days in 2019 issued separate contempt of court rules against the NTRCA.

Without complying with the HC directive, the NTRCA on March 30 issued a mass circular for appointing around 54,000 teachers for private schools, colleges and madrasas across the country, lawyer Mohiuddin said.

The contempt petitions came up before the HC bench led by Justice Mamnoon Rahman for further hearing today.

After hearing arguments from the petitioners' counsels, the HC bench delivered the order.

Lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan appeared for the petitioners during virtual hearing on the petitions.