The primary teachers, who earlier postponed their work abstention and hunger strike, announced resuming tough agitation if their demands are not met by July 31 while teachers of non-government schools, colleges and madrasas will go on indefinite strike from the first and second week of this month.

Nearly eight lakh teachers and employees under 40 associations have already observed separate action programmes like hunger strike, work abstention, rallies and demonstrations for realisation of their demands.

Tk 750 crore would be required to meet the teachers' demands -- Tk 400 crore to nationalise non-government primary teachers' jobs, 250 crore to provide 100 per cent government salary for teachers of non-government high schools and colleges, 65 crore for elimination of wage discrimination of the government primary school teachers, 40 crore to nationalise the community primary teachers' jobs and 19 crore to incorporate the Ebtedayee madrasa teachers into the national pay scale.

Government sources, however, said it is very difficult to provide additional TK 750 crore at the eleventh hour of the BNP-led four-party alliance government.

GOVERNMENT PRIMARY TEACHERS
Two organisations of government primary teachers who started hunger strike until death at separate places in the capital demanding elimination of 'wage discrimination' and introduction of school-based examination system withdrew their hunger strike on July 26 following government's assurance of meeting their demands by July 31.

Opposition Awami League-backed Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association, who also observed strike at schools from June 17 to 26, warned of going for indefinite strike from August 1 if their demands are not met by July 31.

Around 1,80,000 government primary school teachers teaching more than one crore children at 37,000 schools across the country receive a monthly salary of only Tk 2600.

NON-GOVERNMENT PRIMARY TEACHERS
Two organisations of non-government primary school teachers who had observed hunger strike on May 31 and June 1 at Muktangon and the Central Shaheed Minar are continuing agitation demanding nationalisation of their job.

About 76,000 teachers in 19,420 non-government primary schools now receive Tk 2,000 each per month. They will receive Tk 3,800 per month if their demand is met.

COMMUNITY PRIMARY TEACHERS
Community primary school teachers have vowed to resume tough agitation for realising their demand for nationalisation of their jobs.

The community primary teachers earlier postponed their action programmes including self-immolation on June 27 following request from the AL-led 14-party alliance and representatives of different professional bodies and human rights organisations.

Habibul Ahsan Bablu, president of the Bangladesh Community Primary Teachers Association, said they would go for indefinite strike at their schools from August 6 if their five-point demand including nationalisation of jobs is not met by July 31.

With a meagre salary of Tk 750 monthly, 10,565 teachers of 3,778 community primary schools remain stuck in miserable conditions.

The community primary teachers teach around 10 lakh underprivileged rural children across the country.

NON-GOVERNMENT HIGH SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND MADRASAS
Five lakh teachers and employees of more than 30,000 non-government schools, colleges and madrasas, who now receive 90 per cent of their basic pay from the government exchequer, demand 100 per cent of it.

Jatiya Shikkhak Karmachari Front, a platform of 11 AL-backed organisations of the teachers and employees of non-government schools, colleges and madrasas led by Prof Kazi Faruque Ahmed, will go for indefinite strike from July 8 for realising their eight-point demand including 10 per cent increase of salary.

Jatiya Shikkhak Karmachari Oikya Parishad, another platform of eight AL-backed organisations of teachers and employees of non-government schools and colleges, will go for indefinite strike at the educational institutions from the same day demanding 10 per cent salary increase.

Ruling BNP-backed Shikkhak Karmachari Oikya Jote led by Selim Bhuiyan will go for indefinite strike from July 6 while a faction of it led by Prof M Shariful Shariful Islam will go for indefinite strike from July 9 for realising their demand for salary increase.

Besides, non-government primary madrasa teachers under the banner of Bangladesh Swatantra Ebtedayee Madrasa Teachers Association, a section of government primary teachers under Graduate Primary Teachers Association, government college teachers under BCS (General Education) Teachers Association, and technical college teachers under the banner of Bangladesh Karigari College Shikkhak Samity will also go for programmes including rallies, processions and strikes demanding better pay.