FROM PAGE 3

during their “Road to Secretariat” programme, they threatened to go on a hunger strike.

“We will stay here today [yesterday]. If our demands are not met by 11:00am tomorrow [Wednesday], we will move to Shahbagh. If still ignored, we will march to the Jamuna. And if nothing changes, we will begin a hunger strike unto death,” said Azizi during the rally.

Azizi made the remarks after teachers were reportedly prevented from marching towards the Secretariat.

He said the movement had reached its “final stage” and that there was no scope for retreat. “The government must fulfil our demands now. We will continue to surround the Secretariat as long as necessary,” he added.

The teachers have been demonstrating at the Central Shaheed Minar since Sunday, demanding a 20 percent house rent allowance and other benefits. A section of teachers has been staying at the Shaheed Minar overnight as part of their sit-in, while others have been joining in the mornings.

Teachers from schools, colleges, and madrasas across the country joined the protest after police dispersed their rally in front of Jatiya Press Club on Sunday using water cannons, baton charges, and sound grenades.

Later, they took position at the Shaheed Minar, where they protested the police action and announced a countrywide work abstention from the next day.

Their key demands include raising the house rent allowance to 20 percent of the basic salary, increasing the medical allowance to Tk 1,500, and setting the festival allowance for non-teaching staff at 75 percent of their basic pay.

On August 13, the teachers had issued an ultimatum to fulfil their demands by September 14 but postponed their strike following assurances from the education ministry.

At entry level, MPO-listed teachers receive a monthly salary of Tk 12,500, including Tk 1,000 as house rent, Tk 500 as medical allowance, and 50 percent of their basic pay as festival allowance. Recently, the finance ministry approved a Tk 500 rise in the house rent allowance, which the teachers rejected, calling it “insufficient”.

Currently, there are over 26,000 MPO-listed non-government institutions in the country, employing around 3.8 lakh teachers and 1.7 lakh staffers.