MPO-listed teachers withdraw Shahbagh blockade, announce 'March to Jamuna' for Thursday
They withdrew the blockade around 5pm and started marching back toward the Central Shaheed Minar, allowing traffic movement to gradually return to normal.
MPO-listed teachers and staff have withdrawn their blockade at the Shahbagh intersection this afternoon (15 October) after several hours of protest demanding house rent, medical, and festival allowance increases.
The demonstrators, under the banner of the Alliance for Nationalisation of MPO-listed Education, began their blockade around noon
They withdrew the blockade around 5pm and started marching back toward the Central Shaheed Minar, allowing traffic movement to gradually return to normal.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Teachers in Khulna join nationwide work abstention
Teachers and employees of MPO-listed schools in Khulna have joined the ongoing nationwide work abstention to press home their three-point demands.
Speaking to The Business Standard, Principal Md Mohibullah of Khulna's National High School, said, "We are not taking classes and are participating in the strike. Some students are coming to school but are returning home as classes remain suspended."
He added, "Secondary-level teachers in Bangladesh are among the most neglected professionals. The current salary is not enough to maintain a family, nor to cover the cost of our children's education and healthcare."
Later in the day, the teachers from secondary schools, madrasah, technical, and colleges staged a human chain at Shibbari intersection.
The protesting teachers also condemned the recent police attack on their colleagues during the teachers' rally in Dhaka on 12 October. They demanded a proper investigation and punishment for those responsible.
The teachers reiterated that their movement will continue until their demands are met and urged the concerned ministries to take immediate steps to resolve the issue.
Reason behind the protest
The current continuous sit-in follows an ultimatum issued by them on 13 August, demanding the nationalisation of MPO-listed private educational institutions along with increased benefits.
While the ministry reportedly agreed in principle to increase house rent to 20% and medical allowance from Tk500 to Tk1,000, it cited budget constraints and stated that implementation would be gradual.
The teachers, who have reportedly been on protest since 2011 for these benefits, are now pushing the interim government to translate the verbal assurances into official gazettes. They warned in August that failure to meet their demands would result in a continuous occupation of the press club area.
