Madrassah teachers’ fast-unto-death

Muhith rejects ibtedayi teachers’ demand

Muhith rejects ibtedayi teachers’ demand

Dhaka, Jan 14 (Just News): Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid and state minister for technical and madrassah education Kazi Keramat Ali on Sunday asked the striking ibtedayi madrassah teachers to end their fast-unto-death programme saying that they are unable to meet the demands immediately.

The two ministers said the demand could only be met if the finance ministry allocates necessary funds for nationalising ibtedayi madrassahs. If the the fund is allocated, the ibtedayi madrassahs would be nationalised, the minister told a group of teachers.

The ibtedayi madrassah teachers rejected the call of the two ministers and vowed to continue their hunger strike.

A 25-member team led by Swatantra Ibtedayi Madrassah Shikkhak Samiti president Ruhul Amin Chowdhury and general secretary Qazi Mokhlesur Rahman met the two ministers at an education ministry office in Abdul Gani Road in capital at about 2:30pm amid their fast-unto-death demanding for nationalisation of all primary-level madrassahs under the Bangladesh Madrassah Education Board.

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 demand was met through an announcement from the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina or education minister Nurul Islam Nahid’ he said.

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.

The primary madrassah teachers started fast-unto-death programme on 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 include salary under national pay scale, construction of separate buildings for ibtedayi madrassahs and trainings similar to the primary school teachers.

About 50,000 teachers of 10,000 ibtedayi madrassahs are living in an inhumane condition without adequate salaries, teachers said.

(Justnews/ys/1600hr)