Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon today said there should be a regulation to prevent non-government teachers from contesting local government elections, warning that their involvement in politics affects classroom teaching.

The minister made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after attending an event at a Dhaka hotel, BSS reported.

"Teachers will remain in the teaching profession, and if they participate in elections, they will go to the profession of politics. If the two run together, the quality of education will be diminished," he said. Milon said the participation of a large number of teachers in local government elections had severely disrupted classroom teaching.

"Election Commission should have a regulation so that teachers cannot participate in local government elections," he said.

"If they want to participate, they should quit their jobs. The investment and training that the state is providing for teachers should be properly used to build the nation," he added.

The event marked the formal announcement of the GPE System Transformation Grant and Multiplier Grant.

The programme was jointly organised by the Global Partnership for Education, Unesco, Unicef, ADB, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, Education Adviser to the Prime Minister Mahdi Amin, Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleque, and Technical and Madrasa Education Division Secretary Md Daud Miah spoke as special guests.

Primary and Mass Education Secretary Md Shakhawat Hossain presided over the event.