Primary and Mass Education Ministry issued a circular on November 1 asking the teachers, who were recruited before 1992 and do not have Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC), to submit HSC certificates and certificates of attending Primary Training Institute (PTI) courses by November 18. Otherwise, their monthly salary will not be provided from December 2006, the circular added.

Giving an ultimatum to the caretaker government, teachers under Bangladesh Non-government Primary Teachers Association said they would launch a tougher agitation, including hunger strike, if their demand is not met by November 15.

"Around 25,000 teachers will not get salary due to this new restriction. It is not possible for the teachers to complete the HSC because most of them recruited before 1992 are now 40 to 50 years old and a good number of them will retire in four or five years," said Shamsul Alam, president of the Association while addressing at a press conference at its office in the city.