Teachers send letter to UN HR body
Agitation to continue
Staff Correspondent
National Front of Teachers and Employees (NFTE) yesterday sent a letter to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights explaining their situation and demands to the government of Bangladesh.NFTE will also bring out processions and hold rallies at all upazilas tomorrow. Earlier, NFTE declared a series of month-long programmes including roads and waterways blockade in the districts on August 1, grand sit-in programme in Dhaka on August 22 and a half-day hartal in Dhaka on August 23. Furthermore, NFTE will organise representative meets at educational institutions from August 2 to 5, rallies and processions at districts on August 6 and at divisional headquarters from August 8. Teachers and employees of non-government high schools, colleges and madrasas under four organisations have been on indefinite strike since July 6 demanding cent per cent salary from the government exchequer, increase in house rent and medical allowance, full festival allowance and implementation of relevant UNESCO and ILO recommendations. Meanwhile, the stalemate over the Shikkhak-Karmachari Oikya Jote (SKOJ) proposed dialogue between the striking teachers and the government continues, as the government did not yet respond to the invitation letter sent by SKOJ on Wednesday. Leader of SKOJ, Shariful Islam, sent letters to the Education Minister Osman Farruk, State Minister for Education Ehsanul Haq Milon, Education Secretary Montazul Islam and Political Secretary to the Prime Minister Harris Chowdhury on Wednesday inviting them to join a discussion at Mohammadpur Central University College on July 30. Teachers on strike vowed for more stern programmes like hartal and road blockade from the next month if the government does not meet their demands. Leaders of SKOJ said they will hold a grand rally on August 2 in the capital and they might announce hunger strike programmes from there, said Jote leader Mazharul Hannan. However, education ministry said the dialogue is being delayed due to busy schedule of Political Secretary to the Prime Minister Harris Chowdhury. Bangladesh Shikkhak-Karmachari Samannay Parishad declared a representatives' grand rally at Muktangon in the capital on August 4 and pledged to continue their demonstration at upazilas and districts.
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