Sunamganj Correspondent:  Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami–nominated candidate for the Sunamganj-2 (Dirai–Shalla) parliamentary constituency and Supreme Court Appellate Division lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir has said that primary school teachers’ salaries should be raised to Tk 50,000 to ensure quality education in the country.

Speaking as the chief guest at a merit scholarship award ceremony in Shalla on Thursday, he said, “Teachers’ salaries should be increased threefold. In developed countries, teachers are among the highest-paid professionals. A teacher needs mental peace to educate students properly. If they are paid only Tk 10,000 or Tk 15,000, they will remain burdened with household and medical concerns. When will they think of their students?”

Monir stated that increasing teachers’ salaries would allow them to devote themselves fully to teaching, ultimately benefiting the nation.

The scholarship program was organized by the Dirai–Shalla Development Forum on November 28.

He also stressed the need to create employment for local youth, noting that 15,000 to 20,000 unemployed young people in the Dirai–Shalla region require job opportunities, and he is working toward that goal.

Highlighting the importance of honesty in public service, he said, “People should work according to their skills. Educated individuals who take bribes from ordinary citizens have no value to the nation. Even a degree from the world’s top universities is meaningless if someone lacks integrity.”

Leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami, teachers, and students from various schools attended the program.

Later, at a manifesto drafting event at the central Shaheed Minar field, Shishir Monir told journalists that the media must have full freedom. “If I make mistakes, journalists should feel free to report them without fear. We must all be held accountable,” he said.

He also shared his plans regarding local problems, development prospects, and future initiatives for the Dirai–Shalla area.

In the afternoon, he attended the Shishir Monir Football Tournament as chief guest, and in the evening, he inaugurated newly installed lamp posts and CCTV cameras at Ghungiargaon Bazar in Shalla Sadar.