Education Ministry Urges Teachers to End Hunger Strike Amid Ongoing Talks on Salary Demands
The Education Ministry has acknowledged the legitimacy of the demand for a 20 percent house rent allowance increase by non-government MPO-listed teachers and employees but faces challenges as the Finance Ministry refuses to raise it beyond 5 percent. Education Adviser Professor CR Abrar has held multiple discussions with stakeholders to address the issue.
On Thursday, Professor Abrar met with leaders of the MPO-listed Teachers Nationalisation Aspiring Alliance, but the talks yielded no breakthrough, prompting teachers to continue their agitation. A ministry source revealed that on Friday, during the July Charter signing ceremony, Abrar discussed the issue with advisers from various ministries, proposing a temporary 10 percent increase. However, the Finance Ministry has not given any positive indication. Further talks were held Saturday morning with Finance Ministry officials, with another round scheduled for the afternoon to resolve the matter.
An unnamed official from the Secondary and Higher Education Division told The Daily Campus, “We are sincere about the teachers’ demands and are holding repeated discussions to find a solution. The Finance Ministry is not agreeing to more than a 5 percent increase. We are trying to convince them, but teachers should withdraw their hunger strike for now. We are continuing our efforts.”
Meanwhile, MPO-listed teachers staged a black flag rally and protest over their three-point demands, including salary and allowance hikes. The rally began at 12:15pm on Saturday from the Central Shaheed Minar, ending at Kadam Fountain in the National Eidgah area, where a sit-in was held. The teachers returned to Shaheed Minar, vowing to continue their ongoing hunger strike.
Alliance leader Principal Delawar Hossain Azizi stated, “The government’s refusal to meet our demands is part of a conspiracy to delay the national election. They are pitting teachers against the state to disrupt the election through this movement.”
The hunger strike at Shaheed Minar began on Friday at 2:00pm amid rain, following the suspension of a planned “march to Jamuna.” The agitation intensified after the Finance Ministry’s October 5 notification increasing house rent by only Tk 500, which teachers rejected. A police lathi-charge on protesters near the Press Club on October 13 further escalated the movement, leading to a sustained sit-in at Shaheed Minar. On October 15, teachers blockaded Shahbag for over 2.5 hours. A planned march to the Chief Adviser’s residence and state guest house on Thursday was deferred after talks with the Education Adviser.
