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On Wednesday (August 13), the delegation arrived at the Secretariat after 12:30 PM. Before heading there, they asked the protesting teachers to wait on the road in front of the National Press Club. Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies had made extensive preparations to prevent the teachers’ pre-announced march.
Anwar Hossain, a teacher from Cumilla, said, “Our representatives have gone to the Secretariat to peacefully press for our demands. We are waiting here for their return, confident that they will bring good news after discussions with the Education Adviser.”
According to the ‘MPO-Enlisted Education Nationalization Expectant Alliance,’ after a prolonged movement in 2018, the then-government implemented a 5% annual increment and a 20% Baishakhi allowance. At that time, a promise was made to nationalize education in the next phase, but the previous government failed to fulfill this commitment, leading to continued protests by teachers.
**Thousands of Teachers Gather in Front of Press Club, Traffic Halted**
On August 13, MPO-enlisted teachers announced a large gathering in Dhaka. The Education Adviser of the current interim government had previously assured the elimination of disparities. On the 22nd day of their continuous sit-in program, starting February 12 this year, a press conference at the Secretariat announced a 25% increase in festival allowances, as well as provisions for house rent, medical allowances, and rest-and-recreation allowances in the budget. However, no official notification has been issued yet despite budget allocations. Teachers demanded the issuance of this notification by August 10, threatening further protests if their demands were not met.
Delawar Hossain Azizi, Member Secretary of the MPO-Enlisted Education Nationalization Expectant Alliance, told Dhaka Post a few days ago, “We have been raising these demands for a long time. The promises made by the government in 2018 remain unfulfilled. The Education Adviser of the current interim government has also given us assurances, but there has been no concrete progress. MPO-enlisted teachers and employees are the backbone of the country’s education system, yet we continue to face discrimination year after year.”
He added, “We will collectively raise our demands from the National Press Club and, if necessary, march to the Secretariat. This is not just a program but a struggle for our rightful demands. We urge the government to issue the notification immediately and provide a clear roadmap for nationalization. If our demands are not met this time, we will be forced to undertake larger and stricter programs.”
