Police charge baton, fire sound grenades on primary teachers at Shahbagh

Police charged baton and fired sound grenades on primary school teachers at Shahbagh when they attempted to hold a “Pen Down” programme demanding three points including salary in the 10th grade.

The clash took place around 3:30 pm on Saturday November 8 at Shahbagh intersection. Several teachers were reportedly injured.

Earlier in the day, after holding a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar, the teachers announced the “Pen Down” programme. When they began marching towards Shahbagh with their three-point demand, police blocked their way. As the situation escalated, police fired sound grenades and dispersed the teachers. Many took shelter inside Dhaka University. Eyewitnesses said the loud explosions caused several teachers to fall ill.

Teachers’ three-point demand:

- Upgrading assistant teachers’ salary to the 10th grade

- Permanent solution to complications related to higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service

- Ensuring 100 percent departmental promotion

According to the Directorate of Primary Education, there are 65,567 government primary schools in the country, employing about 384,000 teachers. On April 24, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education initiated the process of upgrading the salary grades of head teachers from the 11th to 10th and from the 13th to 12th grades. However, assistant teachers were excluded, which sparked resentment among them.

Meanwhile, under the banner of “Primary Assistant Teachers’ Organisation Unity Council”, another group of teachers has given the government until November 15 to meet their demands for salary in the 11th grade, resolution of higher grade complications, and full promotions. They announced that if their demands are not met, they will observe a half-day work stoppage on November 23 and 24, a full-day strike on November 25 and 26, and a sit-in in front of the Directorate of Primary Education on November 27.

They also warned that if there is no visible progress by December 11, they will boycott examinations and go on a hunger strike unto death.