Teachers and employees under the government鈥檚 monthly pay order system have declared a hunger strike starting at 2:00pm on Friday, demanding a 20% increase in house rent allowance.
The protestors have given the government an ultimatum to meet their demands by that time.
The announcement was made by Delawar Hossain Azizi, the member secretary of MPO-bhukto Shikkha Jatiyakaran Pratyashi Jote, a platform representing the MPO teachers and employees.
The statement was issued around 5:00 PM at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka.
Azizi also declared the suspension of their planned 鈥楳arch to Jamuna鈥� program, adding that the protests would continue, and teachers would not return to their classrooms until the government addressed their three main demands.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of the protesting teachers met with Education Adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar at the Bangladesh Secretariat. After the meeting, the adviser informed reporters, citing the finance ministry, that the government had agreed to raise the house rent allowance by 5%, with a minimum increase of Tk 2,000.
However, the teachers rejected this proposal, insisting on an immediate 10% increase in house rent, with a further 10% increase in the next fiscal year.
They also announced the postponement of their 鈥楳arch to Jamuna鈥� program, rescheduling it to Thursday at 5:00 PM.
Since October 12, MPO teachers and employees have been staging nationwide demonstrations to press for three primary demands:
A 20% increase in their basic salary as house rent allowance.
Tk 1,500 as a medical allowance.
An increase in the festival allowance for employees from 50% to 75% of their basic pay.
On Thursday, the teachers continued their countrywide work abstention and non-stop sit-in protest at the Central Shaheed Minar at Dhaka University, marking the fourth consecutive day of their action.
