Police blocked ibtedayi madrassah teachers on Sunday in the capital as they tried to march towards the Bangladesh Secretariat, demanding nationalisation of the ibtedayi madrassahs.
Same day, education and primary and mass education minister ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon told the parliament that the government had a plan to gradually register the independent ibtedayi madrassahs under the monthly payment order system provided the institutions fulfilled all required conditions.
Protesting teachers announced a long march to the Prime Minister’s Office today.
The announcement came on the 25th day of their sit-in and the seventh day of their fast-unto-death programme.
Under the banner of the National Independent Ibtedayi Madrassah Teachers’ Unity Front, teachers from across the country began a sit-in in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka city on May 21, platform leaders said.
Their demands include the immediate nationalisation of all ibtedayi madrassahs registered with the Bangladesh Education Board.
Around noon on Sunday, a section of the teachers started a march towards the secretariat via the road under the metro rail station when a brief scuffle broke out between the police and the protesters as they thwarted the procession with barricades.
Organisation president Md Tajul Islam Farazi claimed that the police charged batons on them, leaving two injured.
On January 28, 2025, the education ministry announced that the government would nationalise the ibtedayi madrassahs gradually.
Protesting teachers alleged that the announcement remained only on paper as the Technical and Madrassah Education Division had yet to nationalise any ibtedayi madrassahs.
They also vowed to continue their hunger strike until their nationalisation demand was fulfilled.
‘We will hold a long march to the Prime Minister’s Office to meet the PM tomorrow (Monday),’ stated Tajul Islam Farazi.
Responding to a starred question from Sylhet-5 lawmaker Mohammad Abul Hasan during the second session of the 13th Jatiya Sangsad, education minister Ehsanul Hoque stated in a written reply that currently there were 8,486 ibtedayi madrassahs.
Having mentioned that as the ‘Establishment, Teaching, Recognition, Management and Manpower Structure of Independent Ibtedayi Madrassahs and MPO Policy, 2025’ was formulated, the minister said that already 1,327 madrassahs had applied for MPO registration.
‘If all the criteria are found fulfilled according to the policy, the government has a plan to gradually register independent ibtedayi madrassahs under the MPO system,’ he added.
