Primary teachers reverse decision, work stoppage to continue

When asked why, a protest leader said: "The leaders backtracked from the decision due to anger among the teachers. The strike will continue."

Assistant teachers from the government primary schools pushing for a list of demands, including pay at the 10th-grade level, have reversed their decision to halt their work stoppage programme.

At midnight on Monday, they announced that their non-stop sit-in programme would continue alongside the strike.

Following a meeting with government representatives at the Secretariat, Shamsuddin Masud, convenor of the “Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council”, had announced a suspension of the the work stoppage but continuation of the sit-in programme at 9:45pm on Sunday.

The suspension of the teachers' strike was also announced in a press statement from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and in a statement issued by the Directorate of Information.

But after the teachers returned to Shaheed Minar, another convener and general secretary of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association (Shahin-Lipi), Khairun Nahar Lipi, announced a strike and sit-in programme.

When asked about the reason for the change in decision, Muhib Ullah, one of the leaders of the primary teachers' protest, said: "The leaders backtracked from the decision due to anger among the teachers. The strike will continue."

Shortly afterwards, Lipi addressed the teachers present at the sit-in programme and said: "Teachers in Dhaka city will continue classes until 2:30pm and gather at Shaheed Minar at 3pm."

Later, at midnight, a joint statement issued by five teacher leaders -- Khairun Nahar Lipi, Shahinur Alamin, Abul Kashem, Anisur Rahman, Mohammad Shamsuddin Masud and Mahbubur Rahman Chanchal -- announced the continuation of the strike and non-stop sit-in.

The statement said that teacher leaders would hold a “final” meeting with the finance secretary and the secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education at 5pm on Monday.

In a meeting at the Secretariat on Sunday evening, chaired by Abu Taher Md Masud Rana, secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, assistant teachers demanded salaries at the 10th grade. The teachers’ two other demands were resolving the complications over higher-grade promotions after 10 and 16 years of service and ensuring 100 percent departmental promotions.

A media statement sent by the ministry’s Senior Information Officer Abdullah Shibli Sadiq, said the teachers' demands were discussed in detail at the meeting.

“In light of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education's assurance to cooperate in resolving the demands as quickly as possible after informing the finance ministry, the teacher leaders announced the suspension of the ongoing work stoppage,” it read.

Later, the same announcement was made in a statement issued by the Directorate of Information.

On Saturday morning, the teachers launched a non-stop sit-in programme at the Central Shaheed Minar. In the evening, they marched towards Shahbagh to hold their "pen surrender" programme to press for their demands. However, police blocked them in front of Shahbagh Police Station, using sound grenades, tear shells, and water cannons, which dispersed the protesters.

Teacher leaders claimed that more than 150 teachers were injured and five protesters were arrested during the incident.

However, Dhaka Metropolitan Police claimed that a group of protesters broke the barricade and tried to proceed towards the State Guest House Jamuna after crossing the Shahbagh intersection, prompting police to disperse them using a few rounds of sound grenades and water cannons to ensure the “safety of the important structures of the state.”

Upon their return from Shaheed Minar following the police resistance, the teachers announced a strike from Sunday. They lit candles at midnight on Saturday to condemn and protest the “police attack”.