Water cannons, sound grenades used on Ebtedayee teachers’ protest

Protest leaders claim they were holding a peaceful protest when police descended upon them

Police have used force to disperse a march by teachers from Ebtedayee madrasas to demand the nationalisation of their educational institutions.

The march from the National Press Club to the Secretariat was held under the banner of the Independent Ebtedayee Madrasa Teachers' Unity Movement Implementation Committee on Wednesday afternoon.

Police used water cannons and sound grenades to disperse the protesters. Protest leaders also alleged that law enforcers charged at them with batons. Several of the protesters were injured, they said.

Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman, chairman of the Independent Ebtedayee Madrasa Teachers' Union, an organisation of protesting teachers, said: "We have been protesting since Oct 13. As part of our previously announced programme, we were holding a peaceful hunger march. We were standing in front of the 5th gate of the Secretariat and making demands to the education advisor when the previous government’s baton-armed police force charged at us. Thirty to 35 of our teachers were injured.

"I have learnt that our teachers are not getting treatment at medical centres. We demand their treatment be ensured immediately."

Khalid Mansur, chief of Shahbagh Police Station, said: "We only used sound grenades to control the situation. Two to four policemen were injured in some shoving. No one has been arrested. Many of them have left. Some are still there."

Teachers have been continuously protesting outside the National Press Club since Oct 13, to push for five demands, including the nationalisation of all Ebtedayee madrasas.

These are:

• Immediate implementation of the nationalisation announced on Jan 28 this year.

• Quick approval of 1,089 files sent by the Technical and Madrasah Education Division to the Chief Advisor’s Office for MPO enlistment.

• Issuance of a notice inviting applications for MPO enlistment from recognised but non-grant Ebtedayee madrasas.

• Creation of pre-primary teaching posts similar to those in primary schools.

• Establishment of a separate directorate for Ebtedayee madrasas.