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Published : 12 Mar 2025, 10:31 PM
Police have used batons and water cannons to disperse private primary school teachers marching towards the chief advisor’s residence over exclusion of their institutions from the nationalisation process.
The confrontation, which took place near Kadam Foara on Wednesday, left at least five teachers injured.
Some were also detained by police.
The teachers, under the banner of the Bangladesh Private Primary Teachers Association, have been staging a sit-in outside the National Press Club since Feb 16.
Their demand is to be included in the nationalisation process.
At approximately 1:30pm on Wednesday, the teachers attempted to take their demonstration to the chief advisor’s residence - State Guest House Jamuna.
As they neared Kadam Foara, police intervened, blocking their route.
When the protesters sat down on the road in defiance, policemen responded with water cannons and baton charges, scattering the crowd.
“We have been sitting in front of the National Press Club for 25 days without even the slightest assurance that our demands will be met,” said Md Firoz Uddin, the association’s general secretary.
“We tried to march towards the chief advisor’s residence but the police stopped us. They used batons and water cannons on us. Five of our teachers were injured. Several were taken away, and three have yet to be released.”
The teachers later regrouped at their protest site in front of the National Press Club.
At the heart of their grievance is the government’s 2013 decision to nationalise 26,193 private primary schools across Bangladesh.
However, more than 4,000 schools were left out, despite meeting the necessary criteria, Firoz said, blaming “political vendettas and bureaucratic complications”.
The teachers have been pushing for nationalisation since 2015.
“As a result of our protests, a letter was issued to the ministry from the office of the chief advisor on Feb 3. I strongly demand the speedy implementation of this letter,” said Firoz.
