Pvt primary teachers continue hunger strike for 8th day

The teachers of non-government primary schools are continuing their “hunger strike” for the eighth consecutive day at Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka today, demanding nationalisation of their institutions.

Under the banner of “Bangladesh Besarkari Prathamik Sikkhak Samity”, a platform of private primary school teachers, declared the indefinite hunger strike on January 27.

Earlier on January 21, they started a sit-in and the next day staged a “symbolic hunger strike”.

At least 200 teachers fell ill, Shajahan Ali, senior vice president of the Samity, told The Daily Star yesterday.

According to the agitating teachers, the government already nationalised 26,193 primary schools that were established before May 9 of 2012 following the announcement in this regard by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 9, 2013.

But, around 4,000 primary educational institutions were not included in the third phase of the nationalisation process despite fulfilling the prerequisites for the process, said Mamunur Rashid, president of the platform.