The announcement was made at the Central Shaheed Minar around 1:30 pm on Tuesday (October 14), where thousands of teachers have been gathering since morning to take part in the protest program.
The teachers have vowed to continue their strike until the government issues an official notification ensuring a 20 percent rent allowance, Tk 1,500 medical allowance, and 75 percent festival allowance for employees.
Classes at all private MPO-listed educational institutions across the country have been suspended since Monday morning, as teachers continue their strike protesting both the government’s proposed allowance structure and the use of police force during earlier demonstrations. The suspension has caused a nationwide halt in academic activities at schools and colleges.
The protesting teachers have termed the government’s proposed increase in allowances as “insufficient and unrealistic.” They are demanding a 20 percent increase based on basic salary and the introduction of a universal transfer policy for all MPO-listed teachers.
On Sunday afternoon, tensions escalated during a sit-in in front of the National Press Club, when police reportedly tried to disperse the teachers, resulting in a scuffle and the firing of sound grenades. Following the clash, the teachers regrouped at the Central Shaheed Minar and announced an indefinite movement from there.
Since then, teachers have been spending nights under the open sky at Shaheed Minar. Some laid plastic sheets on the ground, while others used banners as bedding, vowing not to end their movement until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, teachers across the country remain on strike. Although they are attending their schools daily, they are abstaining from entering classrooms or conducting lessons. Many are holding sit-ins in schoolyards, teachers’ lounges, and offices to show solidarity.
Protests have also spread across districts and upazilas, where teachers are demonstrating with banners and placards. Social media, particularly Facebook, has been flooded with posts and photos from teachers expressing unity with the demonstrators at Shaheed Minar.
