Police used sound grenades and batons on Saturday to disperse primary school assistant teachers who had gathered in front of the Shahbagh Museum to press for their demands, including 10th-grade status.
The teachers, under the banner of the “Primary Teachers Demand Implementation Council,” were holding their pre-announced “Pen Surrender Programme” when the clash broke out.
Several teachers were injured in the police action, while some were detained and taken to the police station. Around 4pm, protesters regrouped and began chanting slogans in front of Dhaka University’s central mosque, where police formed a barrier to stop them.
Md Masud Alam, president of the Pathorghata Upazila Teachers Association, told Dhaka Tribune that they were marching peacefully towards Shahbagh when police, “without any provocation,” threw tear gas shells and sound grenades and beat them with batons.
“We have surrendered our pens today. Our appeal to the honourable chief adviser and education adviser is to fulfil our demands so we can return to schools and teach our young children,” he said.
Ramna Zone Deputy Commissioner Md Masud Alam said the protesters had announced over loudspeakers that they would return to Shaheed Minar, but some of them “broke through the first layer of barricades and tried to breach the next,” prompting police to “attempt to remove them.”
“We had resolved the issue by speaking with their leaders. We will work with them again to understand why a few people disrupted what was already a settled matter,” he told the media.
Earlier in the morning, around 10:30am, movement leaders declared that their protest would continue until their demands were met. Leading the assistant teachers’ movement was Md Abul Kasem, head teacher and president of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association (Kasem–Shaheen).
Also present were Khairun Nahar Lipi, general secretary of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association (Shaheen–Lipi); Md Shamsuddin Masud, central president of the Bangladesh Primary School Assistant Teachers Association; Mohammad Anowar Ullah, a key coordinator; and teachers from across the country.
The teachers said that police sub-inspectors, nurses, assistant agricultural officers, union council secretaries, and administrative and personal officers in various ministries and departments enjoy salaries and benefits under the 10th-grade pay scale.
Despite having the highest academic qualifications, assistant teachers have not been granted the 11th grade even after years of movement. They are now demanding elevation to the 10th grade, along with two other demands.
Saturday’s programme began at the Central Shaheed Minar at 10am. The teachers had earlier observed a hunger strike since October 17, though a faction later suspended it.
According to the teachers, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education had earlier assured implementation of the 11th grade and sent a proposal to the Finance Ministry on August 7. However, the Finance Ministry forwarded it to the newly formed Pay Commission, which later said that changing teachers’ grades was not under its jurisdiction but that of the Service Commission.
After that setback, the teachers revived their demand for the 10th grade and announced fresh protest programmes.
The teachers’ three demands are:
Granting 10th-grade status for assistant teachers.
Resolving issues regarding higher-grade awards after 10 and 16 years of service.
Ensuring 100% departmental promotions.
