Primary teachers threaten to announce tough programme

Staff Correspondent: The indefinite hunger strike enforced by the assistant teachers of the state-run primary schools demanding upgrade of their salary scale entered third day on Monday.

Over 1,000 assistant teachers of several primary schools across the country thronged the Central Shaheed Minar from Saturday morning under the banner of the Primary Assistant Teachers Grand Alliance asking the government to fulfill their demand.

The leaders of the alliance urged the government to upgrade the salary scale of the assistant teachers to 11th grade from the 14th that would see the basic salary enhancement from Tk. 9,500 to Tk 12,500.

The agitated teachers argued if the headmasters get salary under the 10th grade, the assistant teachers deserve the 11th grade. The government should reduce the discrimination by accepting the assistant teachers' demand, they pleaded.

President of the organization Anisur Rahman said they would announce tough programme if their demands are not met within today.

On Sunday, eight teachers fell sick during the hunger strike. They are being treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in the capital.

The sick teachers are—Md Jahangir Alam, Ajmol Hossain, Abdul Mannan, Md Haque Mia, Md Nazrul Islam, Al Faruqui Rashed, Nasrin Aktar and Anwar Hossain.

risingbd/Dhaka/Dec 25, 2017/Yeamin/Mukul