Two organizations of assistant teachers of government primary schools have announced the suspension of the ‘shutdown’ program for 65,000 government primary schools in the country.

This was announced in a joint press release by the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council and the Bangladesh Primary Assistant Teachers’ Organization Oikya Parishad on Thursday (December 4).

It said that in the interests of students and considering the humanitarian perspective, the lockdown program in all government primary schools across the country will be suspended from next Sunday (December 7) until the end of the exams, and the annual exams will continue as normal.

It further said that while the ongoing program continues as part of the three-point demands of the assistant teachers, both councils have taken this decision to complete the exams without harming the students. The joint statement also said that the next program will be discussed and announced.

Earlier, Md. Mahbubur Rahman, one of the conveners of the Primary Teachers’ Demand Implementation Council, told Dhaka Post, “We had already decided that if there is a meeting in the morning, we will organize the exams immediately. But since there was no meeting, it was not possible. Even then, we will conduct the exams from Sunday. These students are our children. We do not want them to suffer. It has been delayed by two days, but this will not bring the academic life to a standstill.”

Regarding the reaction of the parents, he said, “Teachers in different places are under pressure from the parents. Many are excited. But the year’s studies are over. If the exams were held two days later, there would not have been a big problem. Other programs of the movement will continue, but the exams will be kept out of the scope.”

Incidentally, 42 teachers involved in the movement have been transferred to different districts while the three-point demand movement of government primary school assistant teachers is ongoing. The transfer was approved by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education on December 4. The list includes five top leaders of the movement, Khairun Nahar Lipi, Md. Shamsuddin Masud, Md. Abul Kashem, Md. Mahbubur Rahman and Md. Moniruzzaman.