EDUCATION
Bangladesh Primary Teachers to Resume Protest for 10th Grade Pay Scale
Government primary school assistant teachers across Bangladesh are set to stage a new protest, demanding implementation of their desired pay grade. The movement, organized under the banner of Prathomik Shikkhok Dabi Bastobayon Parishad (Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council), will begin on Saturday (November 8) with a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
In a statement, Mohammad Shamsuddin Masud, president of the Bangladesh Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association, announced that the teachers will continue their movement until their demands are met.
Their three-point charter of demands includes fixing the salary at the 10th grade, resolving the issue of higher grade promotion after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 percent departmental promotion.
Several teacher organizations, including Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association (Kashem-Shahin), Bangladesh Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association, and the Assistant Teachers’ 10th Grade Implementation Council, will take part in the protest.
Organizers expect around 20,000 teachers to join the demonstration. Meanwhile, ministry officials have reportedly been in contact with teacher representatives.
Currently, Bangladesh has 65,567 government primary schools with about 384,000 teachers. In an order issued on April 24, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education upgraded head teachers’ pay from the 11th to 10th grade and assistant teachers’ pay from the 13th to 12th grade — a decision that has failed to satisfy assistant teachers.
Leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra Dal staged a protest at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday, condemning the shooting of Sharif Osman Hadi, an independent candidate for Dhaka-8 and spokesperson of Inqilab Manch. The demonstration began around 5:30 pm when protesters marched from the Central Shaheed Minar to the hospital, where Hadi is currently receiving treatment.
Chhatra Dal’s central president, Rakibul Islam Rakib, and secretary, Nasir Uddin Nasir, were present at the protest. The demonstrators chanted slogans demanding immediate arrest of those responsible, including “Why was Hadi shot? Interim answer now” and “Direct action.”
Earlier in the afternoon, armed assailants shot Hadi in the Bijoynagar culvert area. He was rescued and taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
Following the attack, additional police and security personnel were deployed around the hospital. Authorities are working to identify the attackers and determine the motive behind the shooting
In Noakhali’s Hatiya upazila, the annual exams of more than four hundred students at Charkailash Government Primary School are being conducted by the headteacher alone, due to an ongoing work stoppage by assistant teachers. On 2 December, the assistant teachers were seen staying inside the office room while headteacher Monowara Hoque managed the examinations single-handedly.
Handling five classes at once has resulted in significant disorder during the exams. With no monitoring in several rooms, students were observed talking openly, copying from notebooks, and moving about freely. Concerned parents expressed frustration, saying that exam standards are being severely compromised and students’ academic futures are at risk.
Assistant teachers said they are observing the nationwide work stoppage to press for three demands, including 11th grade status and promotion. They warned of tougher programmes if their demands remain unmet.
Headteacher Monowara Hoque stated that while she respects the teachers’ movement, she is conducting the exams based on instructions from the DPEO, ADPEO and ATEO. She added that she is receiving support from former students to continue the examinations so that children do not fall behind.
Upazila Primary Education Officer Abdul Jabbar said that exams are being conducted in 79 out of Hatiya’s 227 schools. He added that further decisions regarding the remaining schools will be taken by the authorities.
The government has warned that secondary school teachers who suspended students’ examinations are in violation of civil service rules and will face disciplinary action. The caution came from Education Adviser Professor Dr C R Abrar during an exclusive interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) on Monday.
Dr Abrar said the teachers’ decision to halt examinations amounts to a breach of the government’s code of conduct, adding that the authorities have taken a firm stance on the matter. He urged teachers to resume examinations immediately to ease pressure on students and their parents.
The adviser described the demand for upgrading teachers to the ninth grade as unjustified, saying they had joined service knowing they would remain in the tenth grade. He noted that the ninth grade is typically reserved for BCS administration cadre officers and involves inter-ministerial coordination, meaning teachers cannot be placed there unilaterally.
Dr Abrar further alleged that the teachers were “using students as instruments” by suspending examinations during their movement, which he termed unethical. He warned that failure to conduct exams from the next day would result in disciplinary action under civil service regulations.