MPO teachers to hold procession in Dhaka tomorrow demanding 20% house rent allowance
Teachers and employees of MPO-enlisted educational institutions have announced a new programme to press home their three-point demand, including increasing the house rent allowance to 20% of the basic salary.
As part of their ongoing movement, they will stage a procession in Dhaka wearing black cloth over their mouths tomorrow (21 October).
Delwar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of MPO-Listed Education Nationalisation Expectation Alliance, made the announcement in Dhaka this afternoon (20 October) at a press conference held at the Central Shaheed Minar, where the teachers are observing a hunger strike unto death.
"Our protest has now turned into a hunger strike unto death. Four teachers have already been hospitalised, and most others are in poor health," he said. "If any life is lost during this movement, Education Adviser CR Abrar must take full responsibility."
Azizi further said, "Those who cannot come to the Shaheed Minar will hold a one-hour sit-in from 11am to 12pm every day at their respective district and upazila.
"We will wait until 22 October. If the government does not issue a gazette notification by then, the situation that follows will be unprecedented in Bangladesh. We will bring all teachers to Dhaka and surround the [chief adviser's residence] Jamuna."
The teachers have been demonstrating since 12 October, demanding a 20% house rent allowance based on their basic salary, a Tk1,500 medical allowance, and a 75% festival allowance.
Their movement began that morning in front of the National Press Club, but police baton-charged and used water cannons and sound grenades to disperse them. In protest, all private educational institutions have been observing an indefinite work stoppage since 14 October.
Since then, the protesting teachers and staff have continued their demonstrations through rallies, hunger processions, marches toward the Secretariat, and blockades at Shahbagh.
They are staging a fast-unto-death from today at the Central Shaheed Minar after rejecting the government's newly announced basic salary's 5% in house rent allowance.