Police swooped on the non-governmental school teachers as they were heading toward the Shikhya Bhaban after a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar to press for their eight-point demand.

The demands include nationalisation of the jobs of teachers of non-governmental schools and payment of 100 per cent salary benefit and medical allowance.

Police put up a barricade near the Doyel crossing and intercepted the procession. When the teachers tried to break through the barricade, police charged baton to disperse the agitating teachers, witnesses said.

"Police baton-charged a peaceful procession of teachers without provocation," BSKF leader Quazi Faruque Ahmed told The Daily Star. He claimed that hundreds of teachers sustained injuries in the indiscriminate police beating.

Later, the BSKF at a press conference at the Shaheed Minar condemned the police excess and demanded punitive action against the people responsible.

Of the injured teachers, Bibekananda Shikdar, Motaleb Hossain, Mustafa Faruki, Golam Mustafa and Mohammad Asif were treated at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

The teachers announced a series of programmes in protest at the police action including protest rallies at all districts and upazilas on October 7 and a daylong strike at schools on Oct 14.

Meanwhile, different political and non-political organisations have condemned the needless police action on the teachers.

Awami League General Secretary Abdul Jalil in a statement yesterday condemned the police atrocity and said the government has trampled all human and democratic values.

He blamed the government for not realising any demand of the teachers in line with the pledges it had made before.

The AL general secretary also blamed the government for not paying heed to the demands of the teachers, who have been agitating for last two months.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) in a statement condemned the police attack on a peaceful teachers' rally. JSD President and General Secretary Hasanul Huq Inu and Syed Zafar Sajjad said teachers' demand should be realised, as they are striving to lead an honest life.

Terming the police action unexpected and inhuman, they said repression and attack could stop no movement.

Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) in a statement protested the police action.

Khalequzzaman, convenor of the BSD, said the police action proves the government's anti-people and anti-education stance. It did not consider the teachers' demands, which includes problems of the country's education sector.

Bangladesh Sanjukta Sramik Federation in a statement urged all to resist such barbaric police action.

The Association of Development Agencies in Bangladesh (ADAB) in a statement expressed its solidarity with the ongoing movement of the non-governmental teachers.

The Progotishil Shikkhak Forum, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Samajtantrik Chhatra Front also issued statements condemning the police action.