Teachers and staff of private educational institutions enrolled in the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) program are staging a sit-in at the High Court Mazar gate on Tuesday night.
They plan to take position at Shahbagh on Wednesday morning and carry out the ‘Shahbagh Blocked’ program at 12 noon.
On Tuesday afternoon, teachers participating in the ‘March to Secretariat’ program were stopped by police when they tried to reach the High Court Mazar gate. Since then, they have been holding their position there.
The MPO-enrolled teachers are protesting for various demands, including a 20% increase in house rent allowance (minimum Tk3,000), Tk1,500 medical allowance, and 75% festival allowance for staff.
Delawar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the MPO-enrolled Education Nationalisation Aspirant Alliance, said:“At night, we teachers will sit at the Mazar gate. Tomorrow, Wednesday at 12 noon, we will block Shahbagh. At night, there will be discussions with teachers on how to implement our program. At the same time, teachers across the country will observe a work stoppage by not conducting classes. Teachers have decided that no teacher will participate in class activities until the notification is issued.”
Teachers said that on Tuesday, intelligence agencies and the police administration repeatedly requested teacher leaders not to carry out the program. However, the teachers confirmed that the program would proceed. Despite the administration asking for time, they were unable to intervene.
They added: “The education adviser has forced these teachers to spend the night under the open sky at the Shaheed Minar. After he became a teacher and sat in a chair, he beat the teachers with sticks, causing injuries. Teachers were pulled by the beard, their clothes were torn, and in the police box, they were slapped. Teachers will not engage in any discussion with this failed education advisor.”
From Tuesday afternoon at 4:15, after a face-to-face standoff between police and MPO-enrolled teachers at the Mazar gate, teachers decided to spend the night there. They said the work stoppage will continue.
It will remain in effect until the notification for the 20% house rent allowance, Tk1,500 medical allowance, and 75% festival allowance for staff is issued.
Incidentally, following the start of the sit-in program on Sunday, teachers began a continuous sit-in and work stoppage from Monday.