Over a hundred primary school teachers were injured and five detained as police used batons, sound grenades, tear gas, and water cannons to disperse protesters at Shahbagh on Saturday.
Following the incident, the coalition of government primary school teachers — Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council — has demanded the resignation of Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and Primary and Mass Education Adviser Dr Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar.
Teachers made the demand during a continuous sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Sunday.
Assistant teachers have also begun an indefinite strike in all government primary schools nationwide to protest the police action and press their three-point demands, which include upgrading their pay to grade 10.
Teacher leaders said they would continue the sit-in and strike until their demands are met.
The movement is being led by Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association President Md Abul Kasem, General Secretary Khairun Nahar Lipi, Bangladesh Primary School Assistant Teachers Association Central President Md Shamsuddin Masud, and Grade 10 Implementation Coordinator Md Mahbubur Rahman, among others.
Lipi is currently receiving treatment for injuries, while Mahbubur Rahman has been arrested.
Teachers who received third-phase recruitment recommendations have also joined the movement in solidarity.
“The teachers have demanded the advisers’ resignation for misrepresenting our demands on television while police attacked our peaceful program,” said Masud.
The teachers’ three demands are:
- Placement of assistant teachers in grade 10.
- A permanent solution to higher-grade complications.
- A 100% departmental promotion guarantee for assistant teachers.
