BNP expresses solidarity with primary teachers

BNP has expressed solidarity with the demands of the agitating non-government primary school teachers and said the party if voted to power would take effective and massive steps for improving their conditions.

On behalf of the main opposition, BNP secretary general Abdul Mannan Bhuiyan yesterday rushed to the teachers, who have been staging sit-in at Osmani Udyan since Sunday to press for its demand to nationalise the schools, and expressed solidarity and sympathy towards the demands.

Welcoming the BNP leaders, non-government primary teachers association president Shamsul Alam Shamsu and secretary general Akkas Ali addressed the occasion.

Addressing to the striking teachers, Mannan Bhuiyan committed that BNP would include the demands of the primary school teachers in its election manifesto after discussion with the leaders of the non-government teachers.

He said it is not possible to educate the nation and implement the compulsory primary education keeping the teachers unfed. From this realisation, he said the BNP when in power started implementing the demands of the teachers in phases.

The BNP secretary general said, in the past the non-government primary school teachers were given Tk 500 every month from government fund, but the government of Khaleda Zia eliminated the system and introduced pay scale as well as provided 70 per cent of their salaries. Besides, 80 per cent of primary schools were made brick built and supplied with furniture in each union.

"Rest of the demands might be implemented if the BNP continue in power," he said and added the sitting Prime Minister when in opposition was committed to meet the demands, but none of those implemented in last four years.

He regretted that the agitating teachers have been passing their days in this winter under open sky at Osmani Uddyan, but the government yet to take any initiative to resolve their demands and even express sympathy.

Moreover, he alleged that the government have closed water and electricity supply and condemned government's acts. He declared that BNP would take step to supply water and send medical team for the teachers.

BNP leaders Abdullah Al Noman, Mirza Abbas, Mofiqul Hasan Tripty, Abdus Salam, Ahmed Musa, Nurul Islam Khan Nasim, Abdul Malek, Gazi Asadullah and Nurul Islam Khan Masud accompanied the BNP secretary general.