Staff Reporter :
Teachers from MPO-listed private educational institutions have announced a long march towards the Chief Adviser’s official residence, Jamuna, on Thursday at noon if their demands are not met.
The declaration came on Wednesday afternoon after teachers lifted a nearly two-and-a-half-hour blockade at Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection.
The teachers began their blockade around 2:30 pm, demanding an increase in their house rent allowance and other benefits.
Traffic in one of the capital’s busiest intersections came to a standstill, causing severe gridlock in surrounding areas. At 4:35 pm, Delwar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the Teachers-Employees Nationalisation Movement Council, announced the withdrawal of the day’s blockade but warned of tougher programmes.
He said if the government does not issue a formal circular accepting their demands by Thursday, teachers and staff will march to Jamuna at 12 pm.
After leaving Shahbagh, the demonstrators moved back toward the Central Shaheed Minar, where they have been staging continuous protests since Monday.
The teachers are pressing a three-point demand that includes a 20 percent house rent allowance (minimum Tk3,000), a medical allowance of Tk1,500, and raising the festival bonus for staff to 75 percent.
Teachers say these demands are essential for survival amid rising inflation and living costs. They have rejected the government’s latest proposal to increase their housing allowance by only 10 percent.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has said it has already sent a proposal to the Ministry of Finance to increase housing allowances for MPO-listed teachers and staff.
The proposal suggests raising allowances by 5, 10, 15, or 20 percent depending on financial capacity. However, teachers have refused to accept what they call “delaying tactics” and “meaningless verbal assurance,” insisting on a written government order.
Rights body Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) expressed deep concern over the ongoing unrest.
In a statement today, it called the police action against teachers “unfortunate and unacceptable” and urged the government to resolve the crisis through dialogue.
ASK said teachers’ demands are not only financial but are linked to dignity, educational quality, and social respect for educators. It also demanded an investigation into police action and accountability for those responsible.
Teachers have already declared countrywide work abstention, and educational activities remain stalled across many non-government schools and colleges. As tension continues to rise, Thursday’s long march to Jamuna is expected to be a major turning point in the movement unless the government intervenes with a concrete decision.
Earlier on Sunday, the teachers began their sit-in in front of the National Press Club, but police dispersed them using batons, sound grenades, and water cannons.
Several teachers were injured, leading to widespread condemnation. Since then, the protesters have been gathering at the Shaheed Minar and holding rallies and marches in the capital.
On Tuesday evening, teachers marched towards the Secretariat from the Shaheed Minar but were stopped by police near the High Court Mazar Gate, where they stayed until late night.
On Wednesday noon, they resumed demonstrations and broke through police barricades to reach Shahbagh intersection.
