Puja brings no cheers for 1500 Hindu families
Our Correspondent, Nilphamari
The Durga Puja this year did not bring any cheers for about 1500 Hindu teachers and other Hindu employees at non-government secondary schools, junior high schools, colleges and madrassahas in the district. They neither got any festival allowance nor the salary for the month of September. According to sources at the district education office, there are about 1000 Hindu teachers and 200 other employees in 180 non-government secondary schools, 112 junior high schools and 23 colleges in six upazilas in Nilphamari district. Besides, there are about 300 Hindu teachers in the 143 madrassahs who teach Bangla, English and science subjects. The government gives 90 per cent of their salary and a festival bonus, paid during Durga Puja. But they are yet to get their salary for the month of September and the festival bonus for the current year, the sources said. "I have no words to console our children as we could not meet their demands during Puja", said Shoilen Roy of Laxmichap Non-government Secondary High School in Sadar upazila while talking to this correspondent yesterday.
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