Police use Water Cannons to disperse teachers’ protest again

Teachers protesting the cancellation of their appointments for the Assistant Teacher position in government primary schools have ramped up their demonstrations. 

On Sunday, February 16, they began a large rally and march, demanding the return of their jobs, but were met with strong opposition from the police, who used water cannons to disperse the crowd.

The protest began at 3 PM in front of the National Museum in Shahbagh, where nearly a thousand teachers gathered. 

The protesters made their way from Shahbagh to Dhaka University’s TSC and then toward the High Court area. 

However, when they reached the road near the Secretariat, police set up barricades to block their path. 

In an attempt to break up the rally, the police used water cannons just before 4 PM. Despite this, the protesters stood their ground and continued to stay at the location.

Earlier that morning, the protesters had gathered for a massive rally at the National Museum. 

The rally saw participation from both Dhaka and Chittagong job seekers, who have been calling for their reinstatement.

For the past 11 days, the protesters have held sit-ins, demanding their jobs back, and have made it clear that they will not leave the streets until their recruitment is confirmed.

The teachers have accused the police of using excessive force during the protest. 

Just last Thursday, the police not only used water cannons but also baton-charged the protesters. 

On February 9, police had fired water cannons, sound grenades, and tear gas at the protesters. 

Baton charges were also carried out during the same protest.

In their ongoing protests, the teachers spend their days at Shahbagh and continue their sit-ins at the National Press Club at night. 

They have maintained this peaceful form of resistance for over 11 days.

The recruitment process for Assistant Teachers was supposed to happen in three phases. While the first two phases have been completed, there is still uncertainty surrounding the third phase. 

On June 14, 2023, the advertisement for the third phase was published, and after written and oral exams, the results were announced on October 31, with 6,531 candidates passing.

However, the recruitment process for these 6,531 candidates was put on hold for six months after some of them filed a petition. 

On February 6, the High Court ruled to cancel their recruitment.

Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, the job seekers who had been denied appointments protested outside the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education in Dhaka. 

The following day, they staged a roadblock in Shahbagh, which resulted in police using water cannons to disperse them.

The protesters remain determined and say they will continue their fight for job reinstatement until their demands are met.