Primary teachers to hold mass rally in Dhaka Saturday

Government primary school teachers from across the country are set to hold a mass rally in Dhaka on Saturday (August 30), demanding implementation of a three-point charter that includes upgrading assistant teachers to grade 11 on the national pay scale.

The protest is being organized by the Assistant Teachers’ Oikya Parishad, an alliance of six primary teachers’ associations. The rally will begin at 9:00 am at the Central Shaheed Minar.

According to organizers, teachers from all 64 districts will participate in the gathering, with expectations of over 100,000 attendees.

The teachers’ three-point demand includes placing assistant teachers in grade 11 at the entry level, 100% promotion opportunities for all teachers and resolving complications related to higher-grade eligibility after 10 and 16 years of service.

Mohammad Shamsuddin, president of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers Association and a leader of the Oikya Parishad, said that the government failed to respond despite earlier deadlines.

“We had set a deadline for the authorities, but no visible steps have been taken,” he said. “This rally is our way of demanding action. We hope for a peaceful and united gathering of teachers from across the country.”

Organizers have submitted a request to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) seeking permission for the rally.

Leaders from various political parties—including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, Nationalist Citizen Party (NCP), Gana Sanghati Andolan, and Gana Adhikar Parishad—are expected to attend and express solidarity with the teachers’ demands.

HKJ