Due to the movement by MPO-registered teachers, a call for class boycott was issued, which led to several days of halted teaching activities. However, after their demands were met, teacher leaders announced that to compensate for the loss of study time, they would hold classes on Saturdays as well. This announcement later caused confusion.
Many have questioned whether students will lose their weekly holiday on Saturdays and how long classes will continue on this day. Although teacher leader Delwar Hossain Azizi had clearly stated at the time of the announcement that classes would be held on Saturdays until the annual examinations.
Due to the confusion among teachers, students, and guardians regarding this issue, MPO-registered Teachers and Staff Alliance’s General Secretary Principal Delwar Hossain Azizi gave a clear message via Facebook Live on Thursday. He said the annual exams will start from November 20 in schools and madrasas.
“We only have four Saturdays left before then. Therefore, we urge everyone to take classes on these four Saturdays,” he said.
Teachers working in private educational institutions who are MPO-registered had the support of the people of this country during their movement. Azizi said that it is the responsibility and duty of teachers to repay this debt and stand by the students.
Azizi added that many have expressed concern that if classes are held on Saturdays, will this continue indefinitely? He reassured that there is no such worry because the ministry has not made this decision; it was a decision taken by the teachers themselves out of conscience to hold Saturday classes.
Azizi said, “From next week’s Saturday onward, you must keep the educational institutions open. We are firm about our demands, but it does not mean we do not care for the students. We want everyone to understand that we love the students as well. If you do not make sacrifices now, the nation will not support us in future movements.”
He also said that any institution that fails to hold classes on Saturdays will be monitored. Those who do not open on Saturdays will face action from the alliance. “I repeat, no school, college, madrasa, or technical institute will remain closed on any Saturday until November 20. This is the final decision of our MPO-registered Teachers and Staff Alliance. Monitoring will be conducted nationwide, and action will be taken against those who do not comply.”
Teachers protested demanding a 20 percent increase in house rent allowance along with two other demands. However, the government decided to raise the allowance by 15 percent in two phases: 7.5 percent effective from this November and the remaining 7.5 percent from next July. But the Finance Ministry has not issued any official notification regarding this yet.
Regarding this, Azizi assured teachers, “If the government makes any such decision after ours, we, along with 600,000 teachers and staff, will surround the ministry. The unity we have formed will not allow the government to bypass us and take any decision.”