Pry schoolteacher candidates continue sit-in at Shahbagh
FE REPORT | Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Candidates for the post of assistant teacher in government primary schools continued their sit-in on Tuesday at Shahbagh demanding the reinstatement of canceled recruitment.
The protesters, who are currently under the third phase of recruitment, have been demanding the appointment of 6,531 people in Dhaka and Chittagong divisions.
They said that the notification for the recruitment of primary assistant teachers was given in three phases. The final recruitment process for the first and second phases has been completed. But, they said they have been kept deprived of rightful appointments in the third phase.
They said they passed all the phases of exams and finally passed during this government, but they were now hanging in the balance.
They claimed that many of them have left their previous jobs and urged that their demand be accepted immediately, or they would continue the protest.
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mohammad Khalid Mansur said that some people were staying in front of the National Museum. However, they did not block the road Tuesday.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the protesters went to the Secretariat for talks with the government officials concerned. The development of the meeting, however, could not be known immediately. Earlier on Monday, protesters also blocked the Shahbagh intersection. However, the police dispersed them charging with batons and water cannons.
On Thursday, the High Court cancelled the recruitment of 6,531 candidates selected under quota from Dhaka and Chattogram divisions and ordered a fresh merit-based selection. At a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy in the capital on Monday, Primary and Mass Education Affairs Adviser Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder said they have appealed against the High Court verdict for reconsideration.
The verdict followed a writ petition, which led the court to issue a rule on Nov 19, 2023, and suspend the recruitment process for six months, halting the appointment of the candidates.
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