UKHIA (COX'S BAZAR), JUNE 02 (V7N) – In a distressing development, 1,250 local teachers working in schools within the Ukhia-Teknaf Rohingya camps have been abruptly dismissed by several NGOs, prompting a protest rally by the affected teachers on Saturday afternoon at the Central Shaheed Minar premises in Ukhia. The teachers accuse the NGOs of discrimination, as Rohingya teachers reportedly remain employed despite claims of a "financial crisis."

These local and Rohingya teachers were employed by various NGOs, including BRAC, CODEC, Friendship, Mukti, Coast Foundation, JCF, and Dhara, to educate Rohingya children in Burmese and English. According to affected teachers, the NGOs cited a financial crisis as the reason for terminating local staff, while retaining Rohingya teachers. Furthermore, there are fears that another 3,000 teachers are slated for dismissal.

Mohammad Shamim Hossain, a representative of the affected teachers, voiced their outrage: "If Rohingya teachers can get jobs, why can't we? That's why we, the affected teachers, held a protest rally... All the teachers who have been dismissed must be reinstated within the next 24 hours. If they are not reinstated, vehicles of NGO organizations will be stopped on the roads from tomorrow and all NGO-INGO activities in Ukhia and Teknaf will be stopped."

Sarwar Jahan Chowdhury, Ukhia Upazila BNP convener and former Upazila Chairman, supported the local teachers, stating that if a funding crisis exists, it is illogical to continue education projects for Rohingyas while excluding local workers; he suggested that the entire education project should be halted if necessary.

Attempts to reach Ukhia Upazila Executive Officer Mohammad Kamrul Islam for comment were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, Cox's Bazar Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner Mizanur Rahman acknowledged the potential closure of the education project due to financial constraints. He mentioned a meeting scheduled with UNICEF for Sunday morning to discuss the matter. Recent reports from UNICEF confirm that a significant funding shortfall is indeed impacting education programs in the Rohingya camps, leading to the suspension of support for host community volunteer teachers and temporary closure of learning centers.

END/SIU/RH/