Protest continues at Shahbagh as canceled primary teacher appointments remain unresolved

The group of candidates whose appointments for the Assistant Teacher position in government primary schools were canceled by the High Court are continuing their protest at Shahbagh, Dhaka. 

These candidates, from the third phase of recruitment, have been staging their sit-in protest in front of the National Museum since Tuesday morning, February 11.

By 10 AM, the protestors had gathered near the National Museum, and by 11:15 AM, they tried to move onto the main road. 

However, the police quickly stopped them, forming barricades and deploying a strong presence in the area, even placing water cannons for control.

As they held their protest along the connecting road near Shahbagh intersection, the candidates were seen carrying banners. 

They were chanting various slogans, including: 

“No compromise, only struggle, struggle, struggle,” “Give us our jobs, or give us our lives,” “We belong in the schools, why are we on the streets?” “We worked in the first phase, why are we on the streets?” “One recruitment, two policies, we won’t accept it,” “One demand, one goal, we’ll go home with our jobs,” and several others.

The protestors, who are among the candidates recommended for the position, explained that the recruitment process for Assistant Teachers was announced in three phases.

 While recruitment and waiting lists for the first and second phases have been completed, they are still waiting for clarity in the third phase.

Many of these candidates have already completed the required medical tests with their district civil surgeons, submitted all necessary documents, and even handed in police verification forms to the district education office. 

They have been given appointment letters in almost every district and sub-district across the country. However, despite all this, these 6,531 candidates have still not been allowed to join. 

As a result, they feel humiliated, with some even resigning from their previous government jobs to take up this new role in primary education.

"We are facing a difficult situation, but is it our fault?" one of the protestors said. "We want the verdict to be canceled and for us to be allowed to join our jobs."

This protest is not the first time these candidates have expressed their frustration. 

On the previous day, they had blocked the road at Shahbagh, but the police responded by using water cannons, sound grenades, baton charges, and tear gas. 

Several protestors were taken into police custody during this confrontation.

The legal issue began when, on February 6, the High Court canceled the appointments of 6,531 candidates from the third phase of recruitment for Assistant Teachers in government primary schools in Dhaka and Chattogram. 

The court ruled that recruitment should be based on merit. Earlier, on November 19, 2023, the High Court had also suspended the recruitment process for the same group of candidates for six months.

This ongoing protest highlights the frustration of these candidates who have already invested time and effort in the recruitment process and are now seeking justice for their rightful positions.