Several primary schoolteachers were injured on Saturday as police charged batons, used water cannons and fired sound grenades to disperse them during a demonstration in the capital's Shahbagh area.
The incident happened around 3:50pm (Saturday) near Shahbagh when the teachers tried to march there after staging a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar to press home their three-point charter of demands, including upgrading their pay scale to the 10th grade.
The teachers under the banner of Prathomik Shikkhok Dabi Bastobayon Parishad (Primary Teachers' Demand Implementation Council) organised their programme that began around 9:00am at Central Shaheed Minar.
The teachers had earlier announced a symbolic "pen drop" programme at Shahbagh as part of their movement.
As the teachers attempted to move towards Shahbagh from Central Shaheed Minar , police intercepted them, triggering a chase and counter-chase.
Police then fired teargas shells and sound grenades to disperse the protesters.
Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Ramna Division Masud Alam said that the situation escalated after some of the demonstrators tried to break through the barricades and hurled brick chips.
"One group of teachers informed us that they would return to the Shaheed Minar. They peacefully dropped their pens," he said.
"But shortly afterwards, another group tried to force their way through our barricade and hurled brick chips. We then dispersed them. Some of our officers were also injured," he continued.
However, the teachers alleged that police attacked their peaceful demonstration without provocation.
Shamsuddin Masud, a leader of the primary teachers' movement, said that the police attacked them without any reason, leaving several teachers injured.
The teachers scattered and took shelter in different parts of the Dhaka University area after police fired sound grenades.
"Police laid their hands on us and beat us with batons. My clothes were torn. We never expected this kind of behaviour from the police of this government," said a teacher who preferred not to be named.
After the clash, the teachers returned to the Shaheed Minar and resumed their sit-in protest there. By 4:15pm, a large number of police personnel were deployed at the scene.
Meanwhile, the protesting government primary schoolteachers announced on Saturday a fresh work abstention programme from today (Sunday).
They made the announcement following a police attack on them during their demonstration for a three-point demand.
Alongside a full-day work abstention at schools, the teachers will also continue sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar.
Convener of the Primary Teachers' Demand Implementation Council Mohammad Shamsuddin Masud shared this information with the media.
Earlier in the afternoon, police attacked a procession of primary teachers at Shahbagh.
More than a hundred teachers were injured as police used batons, teargas, water cannons, and sound grenades.
The teachers alleged that the attack was unprovoked, while police claimed they dispersed the protesters when they tried to march toward the Chief Adviser's official residence, Jamuna, ignoring restrictions. Shamsuddin Masud is also the president of the Government Primary School Assistant Teachers Association.
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