Dhaka, Feb 10 (V7N) – Primary school teachers, whose appointments were recently canceled by a court ruling, clashed with police at Shahbagh intersection in Dhaka on Monday afternoon. The teachers, protesting against what they termed a 'discriminatory' verdict, faced water cannons and teargas as police moved to disperse them. Despite the crackdown, many teachers regrouped and resumed their demonstration shortly after.

Protest Over Canceled Appointments

The protests began around 1:20 PM in front of the National Museum, where the teachers blocked the road and raised slogans demanding the immediate reinstatement of their appointments. The protesters criticized the government for first recommending their recruitment and then allowing the High Court to cancel their appointments, calling the process unfair.

Court Ruling Sparks Outrage

The teachers’ outrage stems from the High Court's decision on February 6, which canceled the appointments of 6,531 candidates selected under a quota system for government primary school teaching positions in the Dhaka and Chittagong divisions. The court directed that the results be re-published based on merit, effectively overturning the previous selection.

This verdict followed a writ petition challenging the quota-based recruitment process. Back on November 19, the High Court had already issued a temporary suspension of the recruitment process for six months. The final verdict delivered last Thursday confirmed the cancellation, leaving thousands of job seekers in limbo.

Protesters Demand Justice

The protesting teachers argue that their selection was conducted through proper government recommendations and that revoking their appointments now is unjust. They also claim that the sudden shift to merit-based appointments disregards the quota policies that were in place when they applied.

“We were selected fairly under the existing quota system. Canceling our appointments now is discrimination against us,” said one of the protesters at Shahbagh.

Police Response and Continued Protests

As tensions escalated at Shahbagh, police responded by firing water cannons and teargas shells to disperse the crowd. However, the protesters showed resilience, regrouping shortly after the initial crackdown and continuing their demonstration.

Authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding the police action, but the protesters remain determined to push for their appointments to be reinstated.

The situation remains tense in Shahbagh, with protesters vowing to continue their agitation until their demands are met.

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