Bangladesh’s MPO-affiliated educational institutions are facing a severe shortage of teachers, disrupting education for millions of students across the country. Despite the urgent need to fill more than one lakh vacant teaching positions, over 150,000 qualified teacher registration holders are being excluded from the upcoming recruitment process due to age and certificate validity restrictions.
According to officials in the Ministry of Education, the upcoming recruitment drive by the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA) - one of the largest ever - aims to fill over 100,000 vacant teaching positions in private schools, colleges, madrasas, and technical institutions. However, only candidates under the age of 35 with registration certificates issued within the past three years will be eligible to apply, leaving out a large number of experienced candidates.
MPO Institutions in Crisis: At present, more than 33,000 MPO-affiliated institutions are struggling to maintain normal academic activities due to a shortage of teachers. Despite these schools serving a majority of the student population, the government has failed for years to address the chronic staffing crisis. The issue has intensified due to new retirements, poor recruitment coordination, and administrative delays.
Official sources revealed that more than 77,500 positions remained vacant even after the last round of recruitment, and another 20,000-25,000 positions have become vacant in the last year due to retirements. According to NTRCA data, 96,736 vacancies were identified in its fifth public notice, yet fewer than 20,000 teachers were appointed in the end.
The sixth public notice by NTRCA, expected shortly, is poised to be the most ambitious in scale, seeking to fill more than one lakh teaching posts. However, the constraints imposed on eligibility criteria have sparked widespread criticism. 1.5 Lakh Registration Holders Barred from Applying: The most controversial aspects of the upcoming recruitment are two limitations:Age limit of 35 years for applicants.Certificate validity of only three years.
As a result, over 150,000 qualified candidates - many of whom passed the rigorous three-phase registration exam years ago - will be barred from applying. These individuals, despite having cleared preliminary, written, and viva voce stages, now find themselves ineligible simply due to administrative rules.
According to sources in the Ministry of Education, these conditions were implemented to ensure that only “fresh and competitive” candidates are recruited. However, critics argue that such a policy wastes valuable human capital at a time when the education sector is in dire need of trained personnel.
Recruitment Delays and Systemic Bottlenecks: NTRCA, established in 2005 to ensure quality recruitment in private institutions, has faced consistent criticism over the years for its slow and inefficient processes. Candidates and education stakeholders say that the time taken from passing the exam to receiving an appointment recommendation can stretch for years.
“The system is plagued by red tape and outdated policies. Teachers wait for years without a job, and institutions are left paralyzed by staff shortages,” said a senior official at an MPO-affiliated college in Rajshahi.
The Bangladesh Teachers Forum (BASHIF), a platform of registered teachers, has voiced strong criticism of the NTRCA. Forum leaders say that the agency has failed to bridge the glaring mismatch between supply and demand.
“On one side, thousands of qualified teachers are sitting jobless after clearing exams. On the other, institutions are shutting classes due to a lack of teachers. This is nothing but gross mismanagement,” said a BASHIF spokesperson.
Severe Shortage in Technical and Vocational Sectors: The situation is especially dire in technical and vocational education. As per official estimates:70% of posts in polytechnic and monotechnic institutes are vacant.60% of teaching positions in manpower and foreign employment training institutes remain unfilled.This has left thousands of students in critical trades such as engineering, IT, mechanical work, and health services without proper guidance, threatening the country’s future skilled workforce.
Policy Reform and Automation: In response to allegations of recruitment corruption in the past, the government reformed the rules in 2015, granting NTRCA exclusive authority over appointments in MPO-affiliated private institutions. Governing bodies of institutions, previously dominated by local MPs or Upazila chairmen, were stripped of this power to prevent political favoritism and bribery.
As part of the reformed process, NTRCA uses a centralized software system to recommend candidates based on merit and institutional needs. Candidates can apply online, selecting up to 40 institutions in their subject area. Recommendations are generated automatically, reducing human interference.However, education stakeholders say that without flexibility in rules - especially regarding age limits and certificate validity - the system will continue to underperform.
“Automation cannot fix a broken policy. If capable, trained teachers are left out, it is the students who ultimately suffer,” said a principal of a private school in Cumilla.
NTRCA Response and Future Outlook: Speaking to reporters, acting NTRCA chairman Muhammad Noor Alam Siddiqui said that discussions are ongoing to streamline the recruitment process and improve coordination with the Ministry of Education.
“We are aware of the delays and challenges. Our aim is to ensure the best candidates reach the right institutions quickly and transparently,” he said, adding that recommendations for the upcoming public notice will be made entirely through digital screening.
However, Siddiqui did not comment on whether the age and certificate validity issues would be reconsidered, despite mounting public pressure.
Bangladesh’s private education sector stands at a crossroads. With more than 100,000 teaching positions unfilled and over 150,000 qualified candidates sidelined by rigid policies, the teacher crisis threatens to derail educational progress nationwide. As the country aims to improve literacy, technical skills, and employability, policymakers must strike a balance between transparency and inclusion - or risk alienating a generation of aspiring educators and neglecting the academic future of millions.
