Bangladesh Community Primary Teachers' Association began the hunger strike on February 6 to press home their demands, including 100 percent salary from the government as per the National Pay Scale.

Wearing shrouds, dozens of teachers joined the programme at the Central Shaheed Minar in the city. Three of them became sick on Wednesday.

"We have decided to end the fast-unto-death programme temporarily. But we will launch a tougher movement soon to realise our demands," Association Secretary General Hafizur Rahman told The Daily Star.

The government has totally ignored the issue; it even did not want to discuss the demands with the teachers, he said.

The government has betrayed 10,000 teachers of 3,778 community primary schools by not fulfilling its election pledge to meet the demands of the teachers, he added.

He said a conference of the teachers will be held at the Central Shaheed Minar on April 9 where the next programmes will be announced.

The Association also demanded that the teachers get all kinds of allowances and same opportunities enjoyed by the government primary teachers.