This was indicated by Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman while he was talking to journalists emerging from a meeting with Education Minister Dr Osman Farruk at his secretariat office yesterday.

"We know about their (teachers) demand but the local currency position is very tight," Saifur said, adding that no specific discussion on the non-government issue was held at the Sunday's meeting.

He said most of the welfare measures for the non-government primary teachers were taken by the present government.

Last month, thousands of non-government primary school teachers from across the country staged a sit-in programme and some 22 teachers went on a fast-unto-death programme on the Central Shaheed Mianr premises to press home their one-point demand for nationalisation of their services.

The fast-unto-death programme, which began on December 27, was withdrawn on December 29, following an assurance from Prime Minister's Political Secretary Haris Chowdhury.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia is expected to address a rally of teachers in Dhaka on January 19 on the National Teacher Day.

Representatives of teachers hope that the government would announce nationalisation of their services at the rally.