DEMAND FOR NATIONALISATION Teachers reject ministers’ call to end hunger strike

The ibtedayi madrassah teachers on Sunday rejected the call of education minister Nurul Islam Nahid and state minister for technical and madrassah education division, Kazi Keramat Ali, to end their fast-unto-death demanding nationalisation of all primary-level madrassahs under the Bangladesh Madrassah Education Board.
A 25-member team led by Swatantra Ibtedayi Madrassah Shikkhak Samiti president Ruhul Amin Chowdhury and general secretary Qazi Mokhlesur Rahman met with the ministers at an education ministry office in the capital at about 2:30pm.
The ministers informed representatives of the agitating teachers that they were unable to meet the demands immediately, said the teachers, who attended the meeting.
The two ministers said the demand could only be met if the finance ministry allocates necessary funds for nationalising ibtedayi madrassahs. If the fund is allocated, the ibtedayi madrassahs would be nationalised, the minister told a group of teachers, said education ministry sources.
The ibtedayi madrassah teachers, however, rejected the call of the two ministers and vowed to continue their hunger strike.
The primary madrassah teachers started fast-unto-death programme under the open sky round the clock in the cold and on the street in front of National Press Club since January 9, following a sit-in demonstration for eight consecutive days till January 8, to press forth their six-point demand, including nationalisation of Ibtedayi madrassahs.
Their demands also include salary under national pay scale, construction of separate buildings for ibtedayi madrassahs and trainings similar to the primary school teachers.
After attending the meeting, Ruhul Amin Chowdhury said the ministers requested them to end their hunger strike immediately as their demand would only be met if the finance ministry allocates necessary funds.
‘We will continue our protest until our demands are met through an announcement from the prime minister Sheikh Hasina or education minister Nurul Islam Nahid,’ he said.
Till Sunday, on their sixth consecutive day of hunger strike, a total of 165 teachers fell sick. From them, seven were hospitalised at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, said Ruhul Amin.
Earlier on the day, finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith ruled out the demand being pressed by madrassah teachers to nationalise all primary-level madrassahs in the country.
The minister came up with the comment while replying to a question over hunger strike being continued by ibtedayi madrassah teachers, at the secretariat in the capital.
Muhith, however, said the government would include private schools and colleges under the monthly pay order facility with certain conditions.
About 50,000 teachers of 10,000 ibtedayi madrassahs are living in an inhuman condition without adequate salaries, teachers said. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net