United News of Bangladesh

Leaders of primary school teachers have called off their work abstention following assurances from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education that their demands will be communicated to the Finance Ministry and resolved as soon as possible. The decision was announced by the ministry on Sunday (Nov 9). Read more: Primary school teachers protest at Shaheed Minar, demand implementation of 10th grade salary scale A meeting was held between senior officials of the ministry and leaders of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council and the Primary Assistant Teachers’ Unity Council, where the teachers’ demands were discussed in detail. Abu Taher Md Masud Rana, Secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education chaired the meeting. The key demands of the teachers include: upgrading the pay scale of assistant teachers from grade 13 to grade 10, resolving complications regarding higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100% departmental promotion from assistant teacher to head teacher. Read more: Primary teachers continue protests for pay upgrade, advisers’ resignation

Agitating government primary school teachers continued their protests for the second consecutive day on Sunday (9th November 2025) at the Central Shaheed Minar in the capital, reiterating their three-point demand. Teachers under the banner of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council also called for the resignation of the Advisers to the Ministries of Home Affairs, and Primary and Mass Education, in protest against Saturday’s police action on their demonstration, said Abul Kashem, president of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers’ Association. A daylong work abstention is being observed at primary schools across the country in protest against the attack by law enforcers, Kashem said. “Yesterday (Saturday) we went to Shahbagh for a peaceful march titled ‘Kolom Shomarpon’ (pen submission),” he said. 3-point demand: Primary school teachers stage sit-in at Shaheed Minar “Police attacked us there, arresting five of our colleagues and injuring more than a hundred. Moreover, the Adviser to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry termed our demands irrational. We therefore demand the resignation of both advisers,” Kashem added. He warned that the teachers would continue their sit-in and work abstention programmes simultaneously until their demands are met. Their demands are upgrading assistant teachers to the 10th grade pay scale, removing complexities in obtaining higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 percent departmental promotion. Read more: Police-teacher clash at Shahbagh leaves 120 injured