Primary assistant teachers from across Bangladesh gathered at the central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Saturday morning to demand three key reforms: salary in the 11th grade, promotion of headteachers to 100% of sanctioned posts, and resolution of issues related to attaining higher grades.
The rally began at 10 a.m. with participants singing the national anthem in unison. The event was organized under the banner of the Primary Assistant Teachers’ Unity Council, a coalition of six teachers’ associations, and drew a large turnout from across the country.
Shamsuddin Masud, president of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers’ Association, said, “Although our history is not very long, it is significant.
Since 2013, we have been working hard, and our achievements are considerable. Yet, salary disparities remain unresolved. If our main demands are not met, we will escalate our movement beyond this rally.”
He added, “During the previous government, I was labeled a militant and taken away at night. Even today, we are politically tagged. We are not affiliated with any party. We are here solely to press our demands. If the government meets them, we will thank them and leave peacefully.”
Shahinur Akter, president of the National Primary Assistant Teachers’ Foundation, highlighted that Bangladeshi teachers do much more than classroom teaching but are often neglected. “Teachers’ salaries in Bangladesh are extremely low compared to global standards. We demand an end to this inequality. If our demands are ignored, stricter actions will follow,” she said.
Teachers’ leaders said that the assistant teachers had begun continuous work stoppages at the end of May to press their three-point demands. At that time, Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar, advisor at the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, met with teacher representatives and assured them that the demands would be addressed, leading to a temporary suspension of the protests. However, in the past few months, no effective action has been taken to implement these assurances.
Teachers also pointed out that a primary assistant teacher’s salary is equivalent to that of a third-grade government employee, making it difficult for them to meet societal expectations. They emphasized that respecting and fairly compensating teachers is essential for building a developed nation.
Representatives from political parties including BNP, Jamaat, NCP, Ganasanghati Andolon, and Gono Odhikar Parishad were expected to participate in the rally.
According to the Directorate of Primary Education, more than 400,000 teachers are currently working in over 65,000 government primary schools across the country. While headteachers’ salaries have recently been upgraded to the 10th grade, assistant teachers remain at the 13th grade.
