Primary school assistant teachers announce ‘fast until death’ from Dhaka rally

Assistant teachers of state-run primary schools have announced a “fast-unto-death” protest from a mass rally in Dhaka to demand the resolution of long-standing disputes over pay grades and promotions.

Teacher leader Munir Hossain said if the government does not take action to fulfil their three-point charter of demands, they will launch an indefinite hunger strike starting from Sept 26.

The president of the Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association, however, gave the government a deadline until Sept 25 to take action.

The protesters also requested a meeting with the chief advisor within this period.

The Primary Assistant Teachers Unity Council, an alliance of six teacher groups, organised the day-long rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Saturday.

Thousands of teachers from across the country joined the rally to demand that the assistant teacher position be considered the entry-level grade, with a salary set at Grade 11.

They also want a resolution to the complications of receiving higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, as well as for 100 percent of head teacher positions to be filled by assistant teachers, with promotions implemented promptly.

Anisur Rahman, president of the coalition member Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers’ Society, said that assistant teachers had been denied promotions for years because of unresolved legal complications, which is why they are now demanding full eligibility for head teacher posts.

“Higher grades are the right of every government employee, yet complications remain. Our foremost demand is pay at the 11th grade. Without fair salaries in the current socio-economic reality, improving the quality of primary education will not be possible.

“If teachers and their families are left hungry, how can they focus on teaching, improving education, or shaping the nation’s future?”

The ongoing rally is the culmination of escalating protest actions. Teachers began with one-hour work abstentions in May, progressing through half-day stoppages to full-day strikes.

Although dialogue with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education temporarily paused the action in late May, no substantial solutions have materialised.

Bangladesh has 65,567 government primary schools. Data from the Directorate of Primary Education indicates that 384,000 teachers are employed in these institutions.

On Apr 24, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education took the initiative to upgrade the salaries of head teachers from 11th to 10th grade and the salaries of 13th-grade teachers to the 12th grade.