Now, MPO-listed teachers on strike

Madrasah teachers’ strike rolls onto 7th day

Around 2,000 teachers and employees of MPO-listed educational institutions went on a fast unto death in front of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday  demanding that their institutions be nationalized, reports UNB. They began the hunger strike as their demand for nationalising all educational institutions having Monthly Pay Order (MPO) facilities went unheeded even after a five-day sit-in since Wednesday.

The teachers and employees went on the hunger strike under the banner of "Beshorkari Sikkha Jatiyakoron Liyajo Forum", a platform of six organisations of teachers and employees all over the country, from 10am.

The organisations are Bangladesh Besarkari Shikkhak Karmachari Forum, Bangladesh Sikkhak Parishad (Nazrul), Bangladesh Teachers' Union, Jatiya Sikkhak Parishad, Bangladesh Sikkhak Parishad (Shah Al Jasim) and Besarkari Sikkha Prothisthan Karmachari Parishad.

Matiur Rahman, joint convener of the Liyajo Forum, claimed that around 50 lakh teachers and employees of 37,000 MPO-listed educational institutions are being deprived of proper pay and allowances although they work as much as their counterparts at the government institutions. He also said more teachers and employees are on the way to join the strike, threatening to continue the hunger strike until their demand is met.

Meanwhile, several hundred Ebtedayee madrasah teachers continued to lie down on street in front of the National

Press Club for the seventh straight day yesterday, on hunger strike, demanding nationalisation of all registered primary-equivalent Islamic schools. They are passing days and nights in great miseries, struggling hard to fight the January cold with thin blankets and over 150 of them are already taking supports of intravenous saline for survival.

Twelve more teachers fell sick on Monday and two others were admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, raising the number of indisposed teachers to 177 so far. On Sunday, the leaders of the Bangladesh Independent Ebtedayee Madrasah Teachers' Association, that has waged the movement, met twice with the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and newly appointed State Minister for Technical and Madrasah Education Kazi Keramot Ali but to no avail.  

Secretary General of Bangladesh Independent Ebtedayee Madrasah Teachers' Association, Mokhlesur Rahman told UNB that they will continue the hunger strike until the government fulfills their demands. On January 1, the Ebtedayee teachers arranged a sit-in programme following which on January 8, they submitted separate memoranda to the Education Ministry and Finance Ministry and after that on January 9, and the teachers went on the indefinite hunger strike demanding the nationalization of 8,500 registered Ebtedayee madrasahs.

Now, MPO-listed teachers on strike

Madrasah teachers strike rolls onto 7th day

Around 2,000 teachers and employees of MPO-listed educational institutions went on a fast unto death in front of the Jatiya Press Club yesterday demanding that their institutions be nationalized, reports UNB. They began the hunger strike as their demand for nationalising all educational institutions having Monthly Pay Order (MPO) facilities went unheeded even after a five-day sit-in since Wednesday. The teachers and employees went on the hunger strike under the banner of Beshorkari Sikkha Jatiyakoron Liyajo Forum, a platform of six organisations of teachers and employees all over the country, from 10am. The organisations are Bangladesh Besarkari Shikkhak Karmachari Forum, Bangladesh Sikkhak Parishad (Nazrul), Bangladesh Teachers Union, Jatiya Sikkhak Parishad, Bangladesh Sikkhak Parishad (Shah Al Jasim) and Besarkari Sikkha Prothisthan Karmachari Parishad. Matiur Rahman, joint convener of the Liyajo Forum, claimed that around 50 lakh teachers and employees of 37,000 MPO-listed educational institutions are being deprived of proper pay and allowances although they work as much as their counterparts at the government institutions. He also said more teachers and employees are on the way to join the strike, threatening to continue the hunger strike until their demand is met. Meanwhile, several hundred Ebtedayee madrasah teachers continued to lie down on street in front of the National Press Club for the seventh straight day yesterday, on hunger strike, demanding nationalisation of all registered primary-equivalent Islamic schools. They are passing days and nights in great miseries, struggling hard to fight the January cold with thin blankets and over 150 of them are already taking supports of intravenous saline for survival. Twelve more teachers fell sick on Monday and two others were admitted at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, raising the number of indisposed teachers to 177 so far. On Sunday, the leaders of the Bangladesh Independent Ebtedayee Madrasah Teachers Association, that has waged the movement, met twice with the Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and newly appointed State Minister for Technical and Madrasah Education Kazi Keramot Ali but to no avail. Secretary General of Bangladesh Independent Ebtedayee Madrasah Teachers Association, Mokhlesur Rahman told UNB that they will continue the hunger strike until the government fulfills their demands. On January 1, the Ebtedayee teachers arranged a sit-in programme following which on January 8, they submitted separate memoranda to the Education Ministry and Finance Ministry and after that on January 9, and the teachers went on the indefinite hunger strike demanding the nationalization of 8,500 registered Ebtedayee madrasahs.