Protest march and strike in Tetulia to protest police attack on teachers

Tetulia Upazila of Panchagarh has become agitated to protest the police attack on teachers and demand the implementation of their just demands. On Tuesday (October 14) morning, a protest march, human chain and rally was held under the Tetul tree at the intersection of the upazila's market at the initiative of the Tetulia Upazila Teachers' Association. Teachers and employees of various private educational institutions under the MPO of the upazila participated in it.

The teachers said that in this time of rising commodity prices, it has become difficult to live on the current salary structure. Therefore, they have been demanding a 20 percent increase in house rent allowance along with their basic salary. But when the teachers went to hold a peaceful program in Dhaka to achieve this reasonable demand, they were attacked by the police. Many teachers were injured by sound grenades, water cannons and lathicharge from the police.

Speakers at the Tetulia protest program strongly condemned the incident and said, “The role of teachers in building a nation is undeniable. Teachers are in the highest positions in the world, but in Bangladesh they have been attacked—this is a shame for the nation.”

Bhajanpur Assistant Headmaster Zillur Rahman, Sipaipara Assistant Headmaster Rabiul Islam Russell, Shalbahan Assistant Headmaster Sohrab Ali, Kalandiganj Madrasa Principal Maulana Osman Gani, Bhajanpur Degree College Principal Habibur Rahman, Kazi Shahabuddin Girls High School teacher Md. Emdadul Haque, Majhipara College teacher Zahirul Islam and Fakirpara teacher Azizul Haque, among others, spoke at the protest rally.

At that time, the speakers announced that the indefinite strike would continue across the country until the demands were met. As a result, classes were suspended in various schools in Tetulia Upazila, and students returned to class without being able to attend.

BNP Central Committee International Affairs Secretary Barrister Muhammad Nowshad Jami and NCP convener retired army officer Habibur Rahman expressed solidarity with the protest. They expressed solidarity with the teachers' community and said, "Teachers are the conscience of the nation. Attacks on them are unacceptable in any way."

Sohrab Ali, joint secretary of the Teachers' Association and teacher at Shalbahan Girls' High School, said, "We don't want to protest, but we are forced to. If the government accepts our demands quickly, we will return to class. But the protest will continue until the demands are met."

The speakers also said that if the interim government does not take steps to meet the teachers' reasonable demands quickly, the scope of the protest will be expanded further and a program will be announced at the national level.

This program held in Tetulia is not just a protest in one district—it has become a symbol of the struggle to protect the honor and rights of all teachers in the country.