Teachers’ rally at Shaheed Minar, attendance increases

Teachers of private MPO-affiliated educational institutions are protesting for three demands, including rent increase. The ongoing protest has entered its ninth day. Along with the hunger strike, the teachers will also hold a rally at the central Shaheed Minar today (October 20).
As the day progresses, the presence of teachers in the Shaheed Minar area is also increasing. They are coming from different districts of the country to join the program.
Principal Delwar Hossain Aziji, member secretary of the MPO-affiliated Education Nationalization Alliance, a member organization of the protesting teachers’ organizations, announced the program on Sunday evening.
In a post on social media Facebook this Monday morning, Principal Delwar Hossain Aziji urged teachers to join the rally in groups.
In the post, he said, “Join the teachers’ rally at Shaheed Minar today at 10 am.”
Earlier, after discussing with the BNP Secretary General last Sunday, teacher leader Azizi told the media, “We had discussions with BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir. He told us that he will talk to the Finance Advisor about our demands. He also said that he will appear among the teachers on October 22.”
It is worth noting that the teachers and employees under the banner of the MPO-affiliated Education Nationalization Alliance have been protesting with three demands since October 12.
Their demands are – 20 percent house rent allowance of the basic salary, increasing the medical allowance of MPO-affiliated teachers and employees from Tk 500 to Tk 1,500, and increasing the festival allowance of MPO-affiliated employees from Tk 500 to 75 percent of the basic salary.
Although the Finance Ministry issued a notification last Sunday for a 5% increase in house rent for teachers, they rejected it and announced to continue the protest. Later, at 4:45 pm, when the protesting MPO teachers and employees tried to move towards the Education Building with plates and bowls in their hands, law enforcement officers stopped them at the High Court’s Mazar Gate. Later, at 5:45 pm, they returned to the sit-in program at Shaheed Minar.