Assistant teachers from government primary schools across Bangladesh are set to stage a mass rally in Dhaka on August 30 to press for long-standing demands, according to leaders of the Primary Assistant Teacher Organisations Unity Council, a coalition of six associations. 

The gathering will take place at the Central Shaheed Minar.

The teachers are calling for several reforms, including revising the Consultation Committee’s report to fix the entry-level salary of assistant teachers at grade 11 of the national pay scale, resolving pending issues on higher-grade benefits after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 percent promotion from assistant teacher to head teacher posts.

The demands have gained momentum after head teachers were granted grade 10 following a court ruling, while assistant teachers remain in grade 13. Teachers argue that historically there was no pay gap between the two positions, but now assistant teachers are three grades below. 

Currently, the starting basic salary for head teachers is Tk 16,000, while assistant teachers begin at Tk 11,000. After 10 years of service, the gap in basic pay, with increments, can exceed Tk 15,000. Assistant teachers say this disparity amounts to discrimination, and even head teachers support issuing grade 11 simultaneously with the grade 10 circular.

Mohammad Shamsuddin Masud, convener of the Unity Council and president of the Bangladesh Primary School Assistant Teachers’ Association, said they had long been campaigning for grade 11. 

“Despite repeated assurances from the government, our demand has not been realised. After our most recent movement, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education sent the grade 11 proposal to the National Pay Commission with the finance ministry adviser’s recommendation. But we see this as a delaying tactic. We want immediate implementation. If our demand is not met by August 30, we will announce tougher programmes from the Shaheed Minar,” he said.

Alongside the grade 11 demand, assistant teachers also seek resolution of long-pending issues regarding higher grades. Nearly 300,000 teachers have been denied two higher-grade promotions after 10 and 16 years of service due to what they describe as the finance ministry’s misinterpretation of pay rules. They also demand 100 percent promotion to head teacher posts, citing some 36,000 vacancies that remain unfilled.

Teachers have previously staged a series of protests. From May 5 to 15 they observed one-hour work stoppages daily, followed by two-hour stoppages from May 16 to 20, and half-day strikes from May 21 to 25. On May 26, they launched a full-day work abstention. The movement was suspended until June 25 after a meeting with an adviser to the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on May 29.

According to the Directorate of Primary Education, Bangladesh has 65,567 government primary schools employing 384,000 teachers. At present, head teachers are in grade 10 of the national pay scale, while assistant teachers remain at grade 13.

SMS/