The movement of MPO-affiliated teachers demanding three points, including a 20% house rent increase based on basic salary, has entered its ninth day. They have announced a march at Shahbagh on Tuesday, the tenth day of the movement, with black cloths tied over their mouths.
This announcement was made by the Member Secretary of the Nationalization Expectant Alliance of Teachers, Principal Delawar Hossain Azizi, from the sit-in programme at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital on Monday evening.
He said, “Our hunger strike programme is ongoing. Due to the hunger strike, four people have fallen ill and received hospital treatment. If anyone dies due to the indefinite hunger strike, the education Adviser will have to bear the responsibility. However, if the demands are accepted and a gazette is issued, the teachers will end the movement and return home.”
Azizi called upon teachers who cannot come to Dhaka to stage sit-ins in their own districts and upazilas.
Earlier on Monday afternoon, BNP’s Joint Secretary General Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie met with the teachers on behalf of the party. He stated that the government’s announcement of a 5% house rent increase for MPO-affiliated teachers is not sufficient. He drew the government’s attention to increasing the teachers’ allowances.
In the context of the movement, on Sunday morning, the Finance Ministry sent a letter to the Education Ministry agreeing to increase the house rent for teachers and employees by 5% of the basic salary or a minimum of Tk2,000. Following this, the education adviser urged the teachers to return to the classrooms, accepting the overall reality. But the teachers rejected this.
On 12 October, MPO-affiliated teachers began a sit-in in front of the National Press Club from the morning, with three demands. In the afternoon, police dispersed them with baton charges. Since then, they have been holding a sit-in programme at the Central Shaheed Minar.
