The MPO-listed teachers and staff continued their protest for the ninth consecutive day on Monday, and also vowed to intensify their programmes from now on.
Rejecting the request of Education Adviser Professor Dr C R Abrar to return to classroom, they threatened that they would lock educational institutions and organise march to Dhaka en masse, if their demands were not realised by the government.
The adviser made the call on Sunday after the Ministry of Finance issued an order, granting a five per cent hike in house rent allowance for them.
"We do not agree with the education adviser's call. We have rejected the notification (of five per cent hike). Teachers will not return to class under any circumstances without the assurance of a 20 per cent increase," said Delawar Hossain Azizi, secretary of the MPO Nationalisation Expectant Alliance, at a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital.
"Until now, we have been organising sit-ins and hunger strikes. We are conducting our movement peacefully. Next, we will observe a hunger strike unto death. It will continue until the government fulfills our legitimate demands."
"If the government does not respond, no teacher will conduct class in the country from tomorrow," he warned.
At the Central Shaheed Minar rally the teachers were seen chanting various slogans, including "No more C R Abrar," "C R Abrar must resign now," and "Not five per cent, we want twenty per cent".
Around one hundred teachers were continuing their hunger strike at the Central Shaheed Minar, and four of them fell ill on Monday, organisers said.
"Teachers have lost trust in the education adviser. We are giving the government two more days to accept our demands. We hope the matter will be resolved soon at the highest level of the government," said Habibullah Raju, joint convener of the alliance.
"We have rejected the government's decision to raise house rent by only five per cent. We demand a twenty per cent increase. Until our demands are met, teachers and employees will not leave the Shaheed Minar, and classes will not resume."
Habibullah Raju also mentioned that several political parties, including BNP, National Citizen Party (NCP), Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, and Gono Odhikar Parishad expressed solidarity with the teachers' demands.
In addition, Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU), Jahangirnagar University Students' Union (JUCSU), various teachers' organisations, and students from Dhaka University, Jagannath University, and BUET extended their support.
Meanwhile, a BNP delegation, led by the party's joint secretary general Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie, visited the protesting teachers on Monday to express solidarity.
Addressing the teachers, Annie said, "It is unfortunate that teachers have to protest under the scorching sun for nine days. Time and again, we see teachers being forced to take to the streets. If BNP returns to power, we will nationalise the education system. It is a commitment from our acting chairman Tarique Rahman."
"The interim government has already accepted part of your demands. But the desired demand (twenty per cent) has not yet been met. I urge the government to reconsider. Teachers deserve special consideration," he added.
Since October 12, the teachers and employees under the MPO system have been protesting to increase the house rent allowance to twenty per cent of the basic salary, raise the medical allowance from Tk 500 to Tk 1,500, and increase the festival bonus from 50 per cent to 75 per cent of the basic. On October 17, they added a new demand of full nationalisation of all the private educational institutions.
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com, armanhossen7971@gmail.com
