Primary teachers’ delegation to visit Chief Adviser’s residence

A delegation of primary school teachers will visit the Chief Adviser’s residence in Jamuna to submit a memorandum outlining three key demands. 

Md. Anisur Rahman, President of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers’ Association, shared this with The Daily Samakal on Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday morning, primary teachers held a mass rally at the Central Shaheed Minar, organised by the Primary Assistant Teachers’ Organization Oikya Parishad, a coalition of six registered assistant teacher organisations. 

The rally focused on three demands: setting the salary for assistant teachers at the 11th grade, resolving issues related to obtaining higher grades after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 percent promotion from assistant teacher to head teacher positions.

The rally was chaired by Monir Hossain, President of the Bangladesh Primary School Assistant Teachers Association. 

Speakers included Jonayed Saki, Chief Coordinator of the Gono Sanghati Andolon; Maulana Jalaluddin Ahmed, Secretary General of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish; Dr. Md. Sakhawat Hossain, President of Bangladesh Primary Teachers Council and Jamaat-e-Islami leader; Professor ABM Fazlul Karim, General Secretary of Adarsh Teachers Federation and former Dhaka University Senate member; and Moniruzzaman Monir, President of Bangladesh Primary Teachers Association. 

Other speakers from the primary teachers’ group included Shamsuddin Masud, Convener of the Oikya Parishad; Shahinur Akhter, President of the National Primary Assistant Teachers Association; Md. Anisur Rahman; and Tapan Mondal, a leader of the organisation.

During the rally, teachers highlighted the growing salary disparity. 

They noted that before 2006, assistant teachers were one grade below head teachers. 

On August 29, 2006, head teachers’ salaries were raised by two grades, while assistant teachers received only a one-grade increase. 

Following a High Court ruling on March 9, 2014, head teachers’ salaries were set at the 10th grade, starting at Tk16,000 and reaching Tk23,000 after two time-scale increments over 16 years. 

In contrast, assistant teachers’ salaries start at Tk11,000 in the 13th grade, reaching only Tk12,500 after 16 years with two time-scale increments. 

This creates a salary gap of approximately Tk25,000 after 16 years of service. 

The teachers urged that assistant teachers’ salaries be fixed at the 11th grade and that 100 percent promotions to head teacher positions be implemented to ensure quality primary education and attract talent to the profession.