The candidates who have been appointed as assistant teachers in government primary schools have been protesting on the streets for the past 10 days. During the day, they gather at Shahbagh and at night, they sleep on the pavement in front of the National Press club. In the meantime, the police have used sound grenades and water cannons twice to disperse them. The candidates, the majority of whom are women, have faced baton-charge as well.
According to a Prothom Alo news report, the protesting candidates continued their demonstrations on Saturday in front of the National Museum at Shahbagh, demanding the reinstatement of their cancelled recruitment for the position of assistant teacher in government primary schools.
There were no issues with the recruitment process for the first and second phase of appointment of assistant teachers in government primary schools. Those candidates have joined in accordance with the government’s decision. However, in the third phase, the recruitment of 6,531 candidates from the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions was halted by the High Court due to a writ petition filed by a few disqualified candidates. The court issued an order suspending their recruitment for six months. Since then, the affected candidates have been demonstrating continuously.
In addition to demonstrations on the streets, the protestors have also engaged in discussions with the relevant ministry’s advisors and the secretaries. The government has assured them that their case would be considered from a humanitarian perspective. It also said that the government has no control over the court’s decision.
This assurance has failed to reassure the protestors. The directorate of primary education filed an appeal last Thursday against the High court’s verdict.
The protestors argue that since others were appointed through the same process in the first two phases, why was an objection raised in their case? They further point out that it is not a matter of a previous government’s decision. The final recruitment results were published during this incumbent government on 31 October last year.
According to relevant sources, the circular for the third phase recruitment was published on 14 June 2023. The written exam took place on 29 March 2024, with the results announced on 21 April that year and the interviews conducted on 12 June. After obtaining approval from the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Public Administration, the final results were published on 31 October, with 6,531 candidates being recommended for appointment.
The question is, why did the government choose to file an appeal only after several rounds of demonstrations in the streets? Had it taken this step earlier, these candidates might not have been compelled to protest on the streets for days.
We think the government cannot evade its responsibilities in excuse of the court’s decision. Furthermore, to those who frequently invoke court decisions as justification, we would suggest to think of the events of July and August last year. The quota reform movement itself was triggered by a decision of the court.
We expect the government to address the issue of the assistant teacher candidates for government primary schools with fairness and equality. The authorities should take measures to ensure that a large number of job candidates do not have to remain on the streets for days and months. These candidates are not protesting for any additional demands of their own; they are demanding the implementation of a government’s decision, just as it was implemented in the previous two phases.