The Bangladesh Health Assistant Association has again called a work stoppage to press its six-point demand. The central coordination council warned that if the government does not issue a gazette by Thursday, members will begin an indefinite, peaceful sit-in at Dhaka’s Central Shaheed Minar from Saturday.
The announcement was made Monday at a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club by Chief Coordinator Wasi Uddin Rana and other leaders.
They said they have long sought amendments to recruitment rules, removal of pay disparities, and technical status, but government assurances have been broken five times. Due to delays, health assistants halted all activities – including EPI and TCV reporting – at 120,000 outreach centres on 1 October.
After high-level talks on 6 October, they paused the strike for a month and successfully completed the TCV campaign for about 50 million children.
Leaders alleged that instead of meeting commitments, two assistants from Chandpur were transferred to Cumilla as retaliation for raising concerns about the TCV budget.
Saying they no longer trust verbal promises, they warned that their movement will escalate unless the transfers are reversed and a formal gazette is issued.
Their demands include technical status with higher grades for qualified staff, a clear promotion track, inclusion in the graduate pay scale without extra training, recognition of earned time-scale benefits, and equivalency for the in-service SIT diploma.
