At least 50 Ebtedayee madrasa teachers were injured on Wednesday when police used water cannons, sound grenades, and tear shells to disperse demonstrators attempting to march toward the Secretariat after breaking a police barricade.
The madrasa teachers had gathered in front of the National Press Club demanding nationalisation of their institutions.
Their pre-announced programme was to move from the National Press Club towards Paltan, but around 2pm, they breached a police barricade on Link Road near the Secretariat, prompting police intervention, Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khalid Mansur told TIMES of Bangladesh.
He confirmed that sound grenades and water cannons were used to bring the situation under control. Following the clash, at least 50 injured teachers were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, said Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp.
The teachers have been pressing for five key demands – the phased nationalisation of all Ebtedayee madrasas, quick approval and gazette notification for 1,089 institutions already reviewed for MPO inclusion, issuance of a circular inviting MPO applications from recognised non-grant Ebtedayee madrasas, creation of pre-primary teaching posts similar to those in primary schools, and establishment of a separate directorate for Ebtedayee madrasas.
