Government primary school teachers in Bangladesh have decided to resume their protest after initially suspending their work abstention. The announcement was made by Khayrun Nahar Lipi, the general secretary of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association, at the Central Shaheed Minar in front of a large gathering of teachers. Lipi stated that the previous suspension was made under pressure from authorities but she was withdrawing it despite potential job risks. The teachers will continue their sit-in protest at the location.
Earlier in the evening, Shamsuddin Masud, another leader of the movement, had declared the suspension of the work abstention following a meeting at the Secretariat with ministry officials. The decision was made after the government assured the teachers that their demands would be reviewed in collaboration with the finance ministry.
The nationwide strike by teachers demanding pay raises and promotions caused classrooms in over 65,000 government primary schools to remain empty, as more than 380,000 assistant teachers refrained from conducting classes. The protest was triggered by a police crackdown at Shahbagh, where officers used force to disperse teachers marching from the Central Shaheed Minar, resulting in over 100 injuries.
The teachers have been advocating for an increase in their pay scale from grade-13 to grade-10, as well as equal status and promotion opportunities comparable to secondary-level teachers.
Additionally, non-MPO teachers demonstrating in front of the Jatiya Press Club faced police intervention, including the use of water cannons and sound grenades. The teachers, seeking inclusion in the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme since November 2, were met with force when they attempted to march towards the Secretariat. Several demonstrators were injured, and a few were reportedly detained.
Rights organizations Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) and Rashtra Sangskar Andolan condemned the use of force against the teachers, asserting that it violated their constitutional right to peaceful assembly. They called for accountability, medical assistance for the injured, and urged the government to address the issue through dialogue.