Staff Correspondent
Government primary school assistant teachers gathered at the Central Shaheed Minar today, protesting wage discrimination and demanding the implementation of the 10th-grade salary scale.
From early Friday morning, teachers from across the country began to flock to the Shaheed Minar, chanting slogans like “One demand, one voice—10th grade for teachers” and “Awake, awake—the teachers’ society has awakened.”
Currently, assistant teachers receive salaries in the 13th grade, with a basic pay of Tk 11,000. Their demand is simple: upgrade to the 10th grade, raising the basic salary to Tk 16,000.
Teachers pointed out the disparity—while teachers in PTI laboratory schools, nurses, agriculture sub-assistant officers, and even police sub-inspectors with similar qualifications are already placed in the 10th grade, primary school teachers remain deprived.
Earlier, they held human chains in Mirpur and submitted memorandums to the Directorate of Primary Education, which assured them that the issue would be resolved soon.
Faced with rising living costs, the teachers say their dignity and livelihood are at stake. At Shaheed Minar, their collective voice thundered once again:
“Equal rights for teachers—implement 10th grade now!”