MPO-teachers have warned that if their demand for a 20% house rent allowance is unmet by Wednesday night, they will launch a march towards the Chief Adviser’s Residence Jamuna on Thursday to press for the nationalization of MPO-listed institutions.
Teachers from MPO-listed private institutions, who have been protesting for an increase in house rent allowance, ended their blockade at Shahbagh on Wednesday afternoon and returned to the Central Shaheed Minar to continue their sit-in.
There, the Member Secretary of the MPO-Listed Education Nationalization Alliance, Principal Delwar Hossain Azizi, announced the next course of action.
He said that if a government circular is not issued by Wednesday night, the teachers will move from their three-point demand to a one-point movement from Thursday morning, focusing solely on nationalization.
“We will march towards Jamuna at noon to press for the nationalization of MPO-listed institutions,” he added.
Teachers said they had blocked Shahbagh around 1:45pm on Wednesday after waiting for the government’s decision at the Shaheed Minar, and later, around 4:45pm, they returned to the Shaheed Minar to resume their sit-in. Meanwhile, teachers across the country are observing a work abstention.
They further mentioned that a continuous sit-in is ongoing in Dhaka over their three-point demand, alongside nationwide work abstention.
The movement began on Sunday in front of the National Press Club, where police reportedly dispersed the teachers by force.
Their sit-in was later shifted to the Shaheed Minar.
On Tuesday afternoon, when they attempted to march towards the Secretariat, police stopped them near the High Court Mazar Gate, prompting them to stay there temporarily before returning to the Shaheed Minar and later moving to Shahbagh on Wednesday.
Teachers have vowed to continue their sit-in and work abstention until their demands are met.
Their three-point demand includes a 20% house rent allowance for MPO-listed teachers, a medical allowance of Tk1,500, and a 75% festival allowance for staff.
