Bangladesh: Govt primary school teachers hold protests for second consecutive day

Dhaka, Nov 9 (IANS) Government primary school teachers in Bangladesh held protests for the second consecutive day at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Sunday to raise their three demands, local media reported.

The Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association President Abul Kashem said that the teachers under the banner of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council have raised a demand for the resignation of the Advisers to the Ministries of Home Affairs and Primary and Mass Education, in protest over police action against their demonstration on Saturday, the United News of Bangladesh reported.

Kashem stated that teachers are observing work absention at primary schools in Bangladesh to protest against police action. He said, "Yesterday (Saturday) we went to Shahbagh for a peaceful march titled ‘Kolom Shomarpon’ (pen submission)."

"Police attacked us there, arresting five of our colleagues and injuring more than a hundred. Moreover, the Adviser to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry termed our demands irrational. We therefore demand the resignation of both advisers."

Abul Kashem warned that the teachers would continue their protest and work abstention until the authorities agree to their demands. Teachers have demanded upgrading assistant teachers to the 10th-grade pay scale, eliminating complexities in obtaining higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 per cent promotion in the department.

Earlier on Thursday, several teachers and students from Bangladesh's Dhaka University held a protest, demanding the reinstatement of music and physical education teacher positions in primary education, local media reported. The protest was organised in response to the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government’s recent decision to cancel plans for music and Physical Education (PE) teachers' posts in government primary schools, weeks after facing criticism from several radical Islamist organisations.

“Music and physical education help raise a child into a human being. You can see that music is taught in all countries across the world. This is because music keeps people away from crime. So, why are we standing here today? This is not just shameful for the Department of Music, but a shame for the entire country. Why do we have to stand in defence of music?" Bangladeshi media outlet bdnews 24 quoted Humaira Nawaz, a protesting student of the Department of Music at Dhaka University, as saying.

Azizur Rahman Tuhin, Associate Professor of the Department of Music, said: "Looking back at world history, we see that civilisations have survived and flourished through art, literature, culture, and music. Every civilisation preserves its artistic heritage. The decision to abolish the positions of music and physical education teachers in primary schools is a conspiracy to obstruct the mental and physical development of our children. In whose interest is this being done?”

Additionally, teachers and students from the Department of Music at Jagannath University (JnU) in Dhaka formed a human chain at Sculpture Square on campus to demand the reinstatement of the two posts.

The protest came after Bangladesh's Ministry of Primary and Mass Education released a revised gazette on November 2, changing the Government Primary School Teachers Recruitment Rules 2025. The revised gazette did not include two new teaching positions, which were mentioned in the earlier gazette released on August 28.

--IANS

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