Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
Monthly pay order (MPO)-registered teachers from private educational institutions, protesting for an increase in house rent allowance, blockaded Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Wednesday after spending the night at Dhaka's Central Shaheed Minar.
Police had earlier stopped the teachers in front of the National Museum. The protesters set out towards Shahbagh around 1:45pm, though they had originally planned to begin the blockade around noon.
Under the leadership of Principal Delawar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the “Coalition Aspiring for Nationalization of MPO-enrolled Education,” the teachers aimed to occupy the Shahbagh intersection to press their demands.
One protester said they would remain at Shahbagh until their demands were met, while another said they would stay until office hours ended, then return to Shaheed Minar.
The teachers are demanding a 20% increase in house rent allowance, a Tk1,500 medical allowance, and a 75% festival bonus for employees.
While sit-ins continue centrally in Dhaka, work stoppages are ongoing at educational institutions across the country.
They also claimed that on Sunday, police used force during a sit-in in front of the National Press Club, prompting them to relocate to the Shaheed Minar. Police had again stopped the teachers on Tuesday during a “March to Secretariat” at the High Court Mazar Gate.
Principal Delawar Hossain Azizi said: “We will blockade Shahbagh on Wednesday. Teachers across the country will observe a work stoppage, keeping classroom teaching suspended. No teacher will participate in classroom activities until a notification is issued.”
