Photo: Collected
Police have charged batons and used tear gas and water cannons on assistant teacher candidates for government primary schools who were protesting at the Secretariat against a High Court verdict that cancelled their appointments.
Police barred the protesters as they marched towards the Secretariat around 3pm today (16 February). The protesters remain at the barricade, where authorities continue efforts to disperse them using water cannon.
Later, police charged batons and used tear gas to remove the protesters from the road in front of Shiksha Bhaban near the Secretariat around 4pm. Earlier in the day, the protesters staged a rally at Dhaka's Shahbagh, demanding reinstatement of their recruitment order.
The rally in front of the National Museum started at around 9:30am today (16 February), however, they did not block the road or the Shahbagh intersection. Now in its 11th consecutive day, the protest continues as demonstrators call on the government to intervene and overturn the High Court order that nullified their recruitment.
On 6 February, the High Court cancelled the process of appointing 6,531 assistant teachers for government primary schools in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions. Earlier, the protesters demanded the recruitment of 6,531 assistant teachers in the third phase of the hiring process for government primary schools in the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
According to the demonstrators, the recruitment notice for assistant teachers was issued in three phases. While the final recruitment process for the first and second phases has been completed, the third phase has faced delays and complications.
They began their protest on 10 February, when they blocked Shahbagh and refused to leave till their demands were met. At one point, police charged batons and fired sound grenades and teargas shells on protesting assistant teacher appointment seekers.
Messenger/JRTarek
