The teachers of non-government primary schools continued their “hunger strike” for the seventh consecutive day at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka yesterday, demanding nationalisation of their institutions.

Under the banner of “Bangladesh Besarkari Prathamik Sikkhak Samity”, a platform of private primary school teachers, declared an indefinite hunger strike on January 27.

Earlier on January 21, they started a sit-in and the next day staged a “symbolic hunger strike”.

Shajahan Ali, senior vice president of the Samity, said at least 200 teachers fell ill till yesterday.

“During the strike, a number of women fell sick from water borne diseases such as diarrhoea. Some of them came with their babies from far distance.”

“Some officials from the education ministry told us that they will look into the matter but they need time. However, they have not set any specific time frame,” he said.

According to the agitating teachers, the government already nationalised 26,193 primary schools that were established before May 9 of 2012 following the announcement in this regard by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 9, 2013.

But, around 4,000 primary educational institutions were not included in the third phase of the nationalisation process despite fulfilling the prerequisites for the process, said Mamunur Rashid, president of the platform.