Government primary school teachers have declared an indefinite work abstention across the country from Saturday, November 9, to press home three key demands, including the implementation of the 10th-grade pay scale.

The announcement came on Friday evening (8 November) from the Primary Teachers` Demand Implementation Council, a coalition of four teachers` organisations.

Abul Kashem, president of the Bangladesh Primary Teachers` Association, said, “The police have brutally attacked our peaceful demonstration. The strike will continue indefinitely in all government primary schools across the country until our demands are met.”

He also said that a sit-in at the Central Shaheed Minar would continue alongside the strike.

Earlier in the day, police charged batons and fired sound grenades to disperse the protesting teachers at Dhaka’s Shahbagh intersection.

Hundreds of assistant teachers had gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar demanding implementation of the 10th-grade salary scale and other related benefits.

As they marched toward Shahbagh to observe a symbolic “pen-throw” protest, police blocked their movement and used batons, sound grenades, and water cannons to disperse them.

Several protesters and police personnel were reportedly injured during the clashes.

Shamim Billah, a teacher at Rajarampur Government Primary School in Magura Sadar Upazila, told reporters, “We held a hunger strike at Shaheed Minar and then moved to Shahbagh around 3pm for a pen-throwing programme. Around 3:15pm, police stopped us, baton-charged, and used sound grenades and water cannons.”

Confirming the incident, DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Muhammad Talebur Rahman said, “Around 4pm, a group of protesters tried to break through a police barricade and move towards the State Guest House Jamuna. When officers attempted to stop them, the protesters threw bricks, injuring several policemen. In response, police used sound grenades and water cannons to disperse the crowd.”