Staff Reporter :
The agitating teachers of ebtedayee madrasas on Sunday vowed to continue their the hunger strike unto death after the education minister and the state minister delivered statements containing no hints of immediate acceptance of their demand.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and State Minister (Technical and Madrassah Education) Kazi Keramat Ali asked the striking ebtedayee madrasas teachers to end their fast unto death programme and give time to the government.
The two ministers said the teachers’ demands could only be met subject to the finance ministry’s allocation of necessary funds for nationalising ebtedayee madrasas.
The Ebtedayee madrasas’ teachers, as such, rejected the call of the two ministers.
A 25-member team led by Swatantra Ebtedayee Madrasas Shikkhak Samiti President Ruhul Amin Chowdhury and General Secretary Qazi Mokhlesur Rahman called on the two ministers at an education ministry office in Bangladesh Secretariat at about 2:30pm amid their fast unto death programme. They demanded nationalisation of all primary level madrasas under the Bangladesh Madrassah Education Board.
After attending the meeting, Ruhul Amin Chowdhury said that 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 assurance of nationalisation is given by 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 placed by the madrasa teachers.
The minister passed the comment while replying to a question over hunger strike being continued by the Ebtedayee madrasas teachers 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 madrasas teachers started fast-unto-death programme on January 9, after sit-in demonstration for eight consecutive days till January 8, to press forth their six-point demands, including nationalisation of Ebtedayee madrasas.
Their demands include salary under national pay scale, construction of separate buildings for Ebtedayee madrasas and trainings similar to the primary school teachers.
About 50,000 teachers of 10,000 Ebtedayee madrassahs are living in an inhumane condition without adequate salaries, teachers said.
Meanwhile, at least 150 agitating teachers of Ebtedayee madrasas, who have been observing hunger strike in front of the Jatiya Press Club, fell sick in six days.
Of them, 20 have been admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
The agitating teachers of ebtedayee madrasas on Sunday vowed to continue their the hunger strike unto death after the education minister and the state minister delivered statements containing no hints of immediate acceptance of their demand.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and State Minister (Technical and Madrassah Education) Kazi Keramat Ali asked the striking ebtedayee madrasas teachers to end their fast unto death programme and give time to the government.
The two ministers said the teachers’ demands could only be met subject to the finance ministry’s allocation of necessary funds for nationalising ebtedayee madrasas.
The Ebtedayee madrasas’ teachers, as such, rejected the call of the two ministers.
A 25-member team led by Swatantra Ebtedayee Madrasas Shikkhak Samiti President Ruhul Amin Chowdhury and General Secretary Qazi Mokhlesur Rahman called on the two ministers at an education ministry office in Bangladesh Secretariat at about 2:30pm amid their fast unto death programme. They demanded nationalisation of all primary level madrasas under the Bangladesh Madrassah Education Board.
After attending the meeting, Ruhul Amin Chowdhury said that 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 assurance of nationalisation is given by 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 placed by the madrasa teachers.
The minister passed the comment while replying to a question over hunger strike being continued by the Ebtedayee madrasas teachers 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 madrasas teachers started fast-unto-death programme on January 9, after sit-in demonstration for eight consecutive days till January 8, to press forth their six-point demands, including nationalisation of Ebtedayee madrasas.
Their demands include salary under national pay scale, construction of separate buildings for Ebtedayee madrasas and trainings similar to the primary school teachers.
About 50,000 teachers of 10,000 Ebtedayee madrassahs are living in an inhumane condition without adequate salaries, teachers said.
Meanwhile, at least 150 agitating teachers of Ebtedayee madrasas, who have been observing hunger strike in front of the Jatiya Press Club, fell sick in six days.
Of them, 20 have been admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.
