Officers, employees, caretakers, and teachers under the mosque-based Child and Mass Education Program, operated by the Islamic Foundation, staged a blockade and protest in front of the Planning Commission at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, demanding the payment of arrears in salaries and Eid bonuses.
Several thousand teachers, officers, and staff, who had arrived at the venue around 8am, began their demonstration at 12:30pm on Saturday, reports Bangla Tribune.
In response to the protest, the Planning Ministry announced that all their demands would be accepted and that an official notification would be issued on May 24.
However, the demonstrators rejected the announcement, issuing a two-hour ultimatum for a written statement and warning that, without it, they would escalate their protest and prevent officials from leaving the premises.
Shahabuddin, the acting central vice-president and a master trainer, announced over a microphone that the authorities had accepted their demands and that the Planning Ministry and the Islamic Foundation would issue a written statement in coordination.
He urged his colleagues to leave the ministry gate, but the protesters refused to comply, insisting they would not leave without written confirmation.
Project Officer Touhidur Rahman said that the Planning Ministry had agreed to their four-point demands, which include the payment of unpaid salaries and allowances from January to May, Eid bonuses, and the inclusion of the project under the eighth-grade revenue budget.
Nevertheless, the protesters rejected the ministry’s request for additional time and insisted on receiving a written declaration within two hours.
