Police dispersed ibtedayi madrassah teachers using water cannon and hurling sound grenades to them on Wednesday in the capital Dhaka as they tried to march towards the Bangladesh Secretariat demanding nationalisation of the ibtedayi madrassahs.
The protesting teachers claimed that about 50 of them were injured during the incident.
Due to the situation, severe traffic congestion was created at the Press Club area and the adjacent areas, with road users being stranded.
Under the banner of Independent Ibtedayi Madrassah Teachers鈥� Unity Council, the teachers coming from across the country began a sit-in programme in front of the Press Club on October 13.
The demands are immediate nationalisation of all independent ibtedayi madrassahs, separate directorate for independent ibtedayi madrassahs and pre-primary positions in these madrassahs.
On Wednesday at about 2:00pm, a section of the teachers started a hunger-march towards the secretariat via the road under the metro rail station.
As they tried to go through the barricades the police put there earlier, police hurled sound grenades and sprayed water from cannon on them for dispersing.
At that time some teachers were seen fell on the ground.
Dhaka Medical College Hospital police out-post in-charge Md Faruk said that following the incident, about 50 teachers came to the hospital.
They took primary treatment at the hospital at emergency department, he also said.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner for Ramna division Md Masud Alam said that as the teachers were trying to march towards the secretariat, they hurled sound grenade and sprayed water from cannon on them at around 2:00pm.
鈥榃e did not detain anyone,鈥� he added.
Shahbagh thana patrol inspector Sardar Bulbul Ahmed said that they obstructed the march of the teachers as section 144 has been imposed in the secretariat area.
鈥榃e used minimum force to disperse the teachers,鈥� he said, adding that during the incident some elderly teachers received slight injuries.
The council chairman, Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman, alleged that they were holding a peaceful procession when police attacked them.
He vowed to continue their protest until their demands are met.
Earlier, ibtedayi teachers began a sit-in programme in front of the Press Club on January 19 and continued till January 28.
On January 28, the education ministry announced that the government would nationalise the ibtedayi madrassahs gradually.
The protesting teachers alleged that the announcement remained on paper only.
