High Court Verdict on Headteacher Recruitment Suspended

The Chamber Court of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has stayed the High Court verdict on the recruitment of headteachers in private MPO-listed secondary schools.
As a result, there is no longer any legal obstacle to holding the viva voce examinations scheduled to begin on October 15.
Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Md Rezaul Haque passed the order on Tuesday (October 6) following an application filed by the Non-Government Teachers’ Registration and Certification Authority (NTRCA).
However, the court ordered that 46 posts be kept reserved to protect the interests of the 46 teachers who filed the writ petition.
According to court sources, a large number of headteacher posts in MPO-listed schools have remained vacant for a long time. On March 25, the government issued an amendment regarding recruitment through the NTRCA.
Under the amendment, candidates for headteacher posts were required to have a total of 18 years of teaching experience. Previously, under the 2025 manpower structure, candidates were required to have 15 years of experience, including three years as an assistant headteacher.
Claiming that the new experience requirement was discriminatory, 12 teachers initially filed a writ petition with the High Court. Several others later joined the petition, bringing the total number of petitioners to 46.
After hearing the petition, the High Court cancelled the government’s March 25 amendment and made the rule absolute.
The state later filed an application before the Appellate Division challenging the High Court verdict. The Chamber Court then stayed the operation of the verdict.
However, the issue of reserving posts for the 46 petitioners will be decided at the full hearing of the appeal.
The Attorney General told the court that, according to the recruitment circular issued on January 29, 2026, there were 10,278 vacant headteacher posts under the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE).
There were also 3,131 vacant posts for principals, vice-principals, superintendents and assistant superintendents under the Directorate of Madrasa Education. Another 150 vacant posts for principals and superintendents were under the Directorate of Technical Education.
The circular mentioned a total of 13,559 vacant posts. However, the number could now have reached nearly 15,000, according to relevant sources.
Following the Chamber Court’s latest order, the NTRCA can proceed with the viva voce examinations and subsequent recruitment activities for candidates who passed the written examination against the vacant posts, excluding the 46 reserved posts, according to the scheduled timeline.