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Teachers demonstrating in Dhaka for the nationalisation of private educational institutions have ended their hunger strike after assurances from the authorities that their demands will be looked into.
With no response from the government to their sit-in protests for three weeks outside the National Press Club, the teachers announced the hunger strike on Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
Sheikh Kawser Ahmed, the general secretary of Bangladesh Teachers Association which is leading the movement, said they would resume classes on Thursday.
Deputy Minister for Education Mohbiul Hassan Chowdhoury met the protesting teachers on Tuesday night after they launched the hunger strike earlier in the day.
He said the government would meet their demand for the inclusion of teachers’ representatives in two committees formed to look into the issue.
The committees will assess the funds needed to nationalise the private educational institutions and inform Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina about the matter, said Kawser
The prime minister will then take a decision on the matter.
Kawser said the government also agreed in principle to reduce income inequalities between the teachers of private and government institutions.
The teachers called the hunger strike demanding an audience with the prime minister.
While announcing the hunger strike on Monday, Kawser pointed out the plight of the people in the teaching profession in private institutions.
“We only receive 25 per cent [of basic salary] as festival bonuses, Tk 1,000 as house rent and Tk 500 as medical allowances,” he said.
After meeting the teachers on Jul 19, Education Minister Dipu Moni dismissed any possibility of making their demands a reality before the general election.
She promised to form two committees to assess the matter. Kawser said they were not happy with Dipu Moni’s words.
“The education minister had earlier said that nothing could be done before the election. We told her that if changes to festival bonuses are announced now, we’ll get that next year,” he said.
“But she maintained that no announcements could be made before the election. That’s why we want to speak to the prime minister.”