Now govt college teachers go on strike

Government college teachers would abstain from classes today in protest against alleged assault on their colleagues by students at Dhaka College.

Teachers under the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) General Education Association made the announcement yesterday.

Meanwhile, teachers listed under the government's Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme continued their work abstention, demanding higher house rent allowances and protesting alleged police action against them.

At the Central Shaheed Minar, the MPO-listed teachers yesterday announced that they would march towards the Secretariat at noon today if their demands were not met by last night.

Several hundred teachers have been demonstrating and observing work stoppage since Sunday.

Speaking at the Shaheed Minar, Delwar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the Alliance for Nationalisation of MPO Institutions, said, "We have started our work abstention to protest the police action against teachers. MPO-listed institutions have already become paralysed.

"Until the government issues a circular granting a house rent allowance of 20 percent [of salaries], Tk 1,500 medical allowance, and 75 percent festival bonus, our programme at the Shaheed Minar will continue. Teachers will not attend any classes."

He warned that if the circular was not issued by last night, teachers and staff from every upazila would march towards the Secretariat at noon today.

SM Jubair Husan, a lecturer at the Department of Islamic History at Raghabpur Rahmania Fazil (Degree) Madrasa, said all the teachers and many students came to the madrasa yesterday, but no classes were held.

On Sunday morning, the MPO-listed teachers gathered in front of the Jatiya Press Club and held a rally to push for the same three-point demand, causing congestion on Topkhana Road. Later, a 13-member teachers' delegation met officials at the finance ministry.

However, around 2:00pm that day, police charged batons, sprayed water cannons, and fired sound grenades to disperse the protesters, leaving several teachers injured.

The teachers had given the government an ultimatum until Sunday evening, but as no response came, they enforced a full-day work stoppage at all MPO-listed institutions yesterday. There are over 26,000 MPO-listed non-government institutions in the country, employing around 3.8 lakh teachers and 1.7 lakh staffers.

In another development, BCS General Education Association yesterday said they would stage sit-ins on their respective campuses instead of attending classes today, demanding justice and respect for the teaching community.

Masud Rana Khan, member secretary of the association, confirmed the decision to the media, while its president, Prof Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel, said further programmes would be declared after Wednesday.

The assault on teachers occurred at Dhaka College on Sunday when students from seven affiliated colleges took out a procession demanding swift implementation of the Dhaka Central University Act 2025.

A student was reportedly confined to the teachers' common room, prompting fellow students to besiege the administrative building and secure his release. The situation was later brought under control by police and college authorities.