Thousands of MPO-listed teachers have blocked Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection, escalating their ongoing movement for pay scale reform and increased allowances.
The teachers marched from Central Shaheed Minar around noon on Wednesday after their government ultimatum expired at 12 p.m. They broke through police barricades at approximately 2 p.m. and occupied Shahbagh, bringing traffic to a standstill in one of the capital’s busiest intersections.
The protest is centered around three core demands: raising house rent allowance to 20 percent of the basic salary, increasing medical allowance to Tk 1,500, and ensuring 75 percent festival allowance for non-teaching staff.
The teachers’ sit-in at Shaheed Minar began on Sunday, with many spending the night at the site as a symbol of their determination. Earlier attempts to hold demonstrations in front of the National Press Club were met with police action, including water cannons, baton charges, and sound grenades.
Rejecting the government’s recent decision to increase house rent by only Tk 500, teachers called the move a “mockery.” Currently, primary-level MPO teachers receive a basic monthly salary of Tk 12,500, Tk 1,000 as house rent, Tk 500 as medical allowance, and 50 percent festival allowance.
There are over 26,000 MPO-listed non-government educational institutions in Bangladesh, employing more than 3.8 lakh teachers and 1.7 lakh staff. With no breakthrough in negotiations so far, the teachers have vowed to continue their nationwide work abstention until their demands are met.
