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

Teachers from government primary schools across the country staged a protest on Friday at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, demanding the implementation of the 10th grade salary scale for assistant teachers. The demonstration began at 10 am, with teachers arriving in large numbers. They contend that their current classification as third-class employees is unjust and demeaning to the teaching profession. As the day progressed, the protesting teachers issued an ultimatum to the government, warning that they would escalate their movement if their demands were not addressed by 2 pm. The teachers marched towards Shahbagh around 3:30pm, where they encountered a police barricade near the Shahbagh Police Station. Undeterred, they continued their protest at the barricade. Over 100 garment workers fall sick after taking tiffin “We are paid as third-class employees, which we cannot accept as teachers. The 10th grade is our life’s demand,” one of the protestors declared during the demonstration. Farhad Hossain, a teacher from Baruihati Government Primary School in Sunamganj, echoed these sentiments, saying, “We are part of the teaching community; why should we be in the third class? It is not possible to build a country by keeping teachers in the third class.” As of the time of reporting, no official response has been made by government representatives regarding the teachers' demands. The situation at Shahbagh remains tense, with teachers vowing to continue their movement until their voices are heard.

The Government Primary School Teacher Welfare Trust Bill, 2022 was placed in Parliament aiming to bear the expense of education of minor children of teacher if he/she dies during service. Primary and Mass Education State Minister M Zakir Hossain placed the Bill and it was sent to the respective scrutiny committee for further examination. The Committee was asked to submit its report within two months. Read more: Former primary school headmaster killed in Bogura road crash As per the Bill, if a teacher dies during service, the expense of education of his or her minor children will be given till they become adults. In addition, the expense will be given for the necessity of a child with disability or special needs. Besides, teachers will receive some financial benefits, including medical expenses. The teachers have to deposit a certain amount to the trust fund and it will be determined by the rules. Read more: Draft of Public Service Commission Bill goes to JS standing committee

The information of question paper leakage through social media in the recruitment examination for the post of assistant teacher in primary schools is an absolute rumour, said State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossain on Friday. The state minister made this remark after inspecting the exam centre at Eden Mohila College in Dhaka. Also read:1st phase exam to recruit primary school assistant teachers begins Friday “We are continuously monitoring to prevent question paper leak. And we haven’t received any information regarding the leak,” said Zakir. “If anyone gets any information, let us know. We will take immediate action.” The first phase of the recruitment examination for the post of Assistant Teacher of government Primary School started at 11 am on Friday. The recruitment test is being held in the first phase in 22 districts of the country, in which the test is being held in all the upazilas of 14 districts and in some upazilas of eight districts. Also read: Primary Teacher Recruitment: 23 instructions for candidates for the post of primary assistant teacher Around 13,09,461 candidates have applied for 45 thousand assistant teacher posts. The second phase exam will be held on May 20 in 30 districts and the third phase in 31 districts on June 3. At present, there are 65,566 govt primary schools in the country with 4,28,701 vacant teachers’ post.

All the teachers of the government primary schools will be administered Covid-19 vaccine doses within a week, said State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain.