Across Bangladesh, classrooms lie silent. Blackboards are blank, and playgrounds echo with absence. From primary schools to colleges, hundreds of thousands of teachers have walked out, leaving behind unfinished syllabuses and anxious students. Their demand is simple—fair pay, respect, and recognition. Yet the response from the Ministry of Education has been one of silence.
A nation of teachers on strike
More than 3,50,000 teachers from private institutions have launched an indefinite strike in Dhaka, demanding an increase in housing allowances. Government college educators have joined in with their own protest over administrative restructuring, while 65,000 government primary school teachers have announced a hunger strike to death starting October 17, seeking elevation to the 11th grade.
With teachers of all tiers—from government to private, from madrasa to technical schools—on the streets, Bangladesh’s entire education system has ground to a halt. Schools have suspended classes just weeks before annual examinations, leaving millions of students adrift.
“We are teachers, not beggars”
At the heart of the turmoil are the MPO-registered teachers, who receive only Tk 1,000 in house rent and Tk 500 in medical allowance each month. They have long pleaded for parity with government employees, demanding rent allowances at 20 per cent of their basic salary.
Instead, on Teachers’ Day (October 5), the government announced a mere Tk 500 increase in rent allowance—a move that many say added insult to injury.
Outraged, teachers from across the country gathered at the National Press Club in Dhaka on October 12, staging a sit-in that later turned violent when police baton-charged the demonstrators. Several were injured, and six were detained. The following day, teachers declared a nationwide indefinite strike.
“Teachers have been humiliated time and again,” said Principal Delwar Hossain Azizi, member secretary of the MPO Shiksha Nationalisation Alliance. “No one from the Ministry has even inquired about our suffering. We will march to the Secretariat if our demands are not met.”
Government colleges join the unrest
Adding to the chaos, the Education Cadre Association has called for an indefinite strike across all government colleges from 14 October, protesting a move to divide the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education into two separate bodies.
The proposal for a “Central University” structure, merging seven Dhaka colleges under one ordinance, has sparked further anger. Teachers at Dhaka College staged a demonstration, clashing briefly with students over the issue.
“We are deeply concerned by the way teachers are being treated,” said Professor Dr Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud Sohel, President of the BCS General Education Cadre Association. “Ignoring their voices could prove disastrous.”
Primary teachers on hunger strike
In government primary schools, assistant teachers, who currently draw salaries under the 13th grade, have been demanding an upgrade to the 11th grade for years. Their pleas have gone unanswered despite multiple protests.
Now, under the banner of the Sahakari Shiksha Sangathan Oikya Parishad, they are preparing for a hunger strike to death in Dhaka. “We’ve been promised change countless times,” said Mohammad Shamsuddin, President of the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers Association. “This time, we will not return home empty-handed.”
Voices of conscience
Dhaka University Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury offered a grim reflection: “A nation whose teachers cannot stand up straight—financially or morally—cannot stand up as a nation. How can a teacher feed a family with Tk 12,500 a month? This is not just neglect; it is humiliation.”
Former caretaker government adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury echoed the concern, saying, “Teachers are forced to focus on private coaching to survive. How can the quality of education improve if our educators are fighting hunger instead of teaching? This is not sustainable.”
Students caught in the middle
With annual exams approaching, the timing could not be worse. Students across the country have missed months of learning due to disruptions, delayed textbooks, and now, an all-out teachers’ strike.
“Many will pass without proper learning, some will fail, and others will drop out altogether,” warned Rasheda K Chowdhury. “No one seems to have a plan to stop this spiral.”
Ministry silent, crisis deepens
Repeated attempts to reach Education Secretary Rehena Parveen and Education Adviser Professor CR Abrar went unanswered.
A spokesperson from the Ministry said only that a proposal had been sent to the Finance Ministry recommending a 20 per cent rent allowance increase, but added, “The rest is up to them.”
Meanwhile, teachers remain camped on the streets of Dhaka, their placards fluttering like desperate messages in the wind: “Respect teachers, save education.”
For now, the government remains unmoved—and an entire generation of students waits in uncertainty.