Dhaka: The recommended assistant teachers, who began an indefinite sit-in at Shahbagh in the capital on Sunday morning, have called off their protest after the government unveiled a new schedule for their appointments.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the teachers ended their demonstration around 2:30pm following the government’s announcement that set October 1 as the date for joining and October 4 for posting. The protesters expressed gratitude towards the government for addressing their demand and vacated the protest site.
Earlier in the day, candidates recommended for appointment as assistant teachers in government primary schools initiated a sit-in in front of the National Museum. They were urging the government to expedite their appointments, initially pressing for completion by August. The protest, which started at about 11:00am, was held under strict police surveillance.
A total of 14,384 candidates were recommended for appointment after the government primary school assistant teacher recruitment examination conducted on January 9 this year. Despite the completion of the recruitment process, the recommended candidates had not yet received their appointment letters.
The candidates had previously insisted that the government issue the appointment notification by July 29, but no such directive was issued. On Saturday, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education announced that the recommended candidates would begin their roles on October 29. However, the ministry released another notice on Sunday, advancing the joining date to October 1.
Protesters noted that they had fulfilled all necessary formalities but were still awaiting their final appointment letters, which left them in a state of uncertainty. The recommended candidates had also organized a similar protest at the same location on April 26, where State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj had assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
After the absence of an appointment notification by their July 29 deadline, the candidates resumed their protest on Sunday, insisting that their appointments be finalized within the current month.