Government primary school teachers will initiate a full-day work stoppage starting Thursday to push for the fulfillment of a three-point demand, which encompasses salary scale updates and promotion rights. The Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council announced this move in a press statement released today, declaring an indefinite strike until the Ministry of Finance honors its commitments, such as releasing the 11th-grade pay scale notification.
Previously, teachers had protested on November 8 at the Central Shaheed Minar and conducted a “pen surrender” event at Shahbagh. The press release highlighted a confrontation with the police during the demonstration, resulting in over a hundred teacher injuries.
Following meetings with senior officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on November 9 and further discussions at the Ministry of Finance on November 10, the council expressed disappointment in the lack of substantial progress toward meeting their demands. Consequently, the council decided to bring forward the planned strike from November 30 to November 27.
Tragically, the press release also mentioned the passing of Fatema Akter, an assistant teacher at Jhiniya Government Primary School in Matlab Uttar, Chandpur, on November 16. She succumbed to injuries sustained during the Shahbagh protest while receiving treatment in the ICU.
The teachers’ three-point demand includes standardizing the pay scale for assistant teachers at the 10th grade, resolving issues concerning eligibility for higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and guaranteeing full departmental promotion from assistant teacher to head teacher.