Teachers call sit-in at Shahbagh today
Staff Reporter :
The “March to Secretariat” program by non-government MPO-listed teachers demanding a 20% increase in house rent allowance and several other benefits was halted by police at the High Court Mazar Gate.
After being blocked, the teachers announced that they would continue their sit-in at the spot until 12 p.m on Wednesday. After that, they plan to move to Shahbagh intersection and announce new programs.
Around 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the police stopped the procession, leading to a face-off between teachers and law enforcement.
Principal Delwar Hossain Azizi, Member Secretary of the MPO-Listed Teachers’ Nationalization Forum, said, “We will continue our sit-in.
Until the government issues a gazette notification, no teacher will return to the classroom. Classes across the country will remain suspended.”
He further stated, “Today, government intelligence agencies and administration officials repeatedly urged us to call off our movement and even offered various proposals. But we made it clear – we will not back down until our demands are met.”
Criticizing the government’s education adviser, Azizi said, “During his tenure, teachers were beaten, bloodied, and dragged to police stations – yet he remained silent. We will not hold any talks with him.”
He added, “Only when the education and finance ministries jointly issue a written statement confirming that our demands have been accepted will we return to the Shaheed Minar.
Otherwise, our movement will continue.”
Earlier in the morning, thousands of teachers from different regions of the country gathered at the Shaheed Minar.
The “March to Secretariat” was initially scheduled for 12 noon, but later rescheduled to 4 p.m. When the procession reached the High Court Mazar Gate, police set up barricades to stop them.
The teachers’ main demands include an increase in house rent and medical allowances, the nationalization of MPO-listed teachers, and ensuring their professional dignity.
They have been continuing their movement for several days, during which classroom teaching activities across the country have come to a standstill.