Dhaka, June 12 -- More than five months after the interim government pledged to nationalise independent Ebtedayee madrasahs in the face of fierce teacher protests, not a single institution has been brought under Monthly Pay Order (MPO) coverage, let alone nationalised.

The promised reform remains stalled in bureaucracy, leaving thousands of teachers unpaid and disillusioned.

Teachers, many of whom have been working for years on nominal stipends, say they are disheartened by the delay in implementing what was a long-awaited promise.

The education ministry claims the process is well under way. A draft of the new MPO policy has been prepared and sent to the finance ministry for approval. Data collection from madrasahs has also begun as pa...