Police charged batons and used water canons to disperse teachers of independent Ebtedai madrasas — primary level educational institutions under the madrasa board — at Shahbagh today as they were on their way to Chief Adviser's Office demanding nationalisation of all such registered institutions.
Khalid Monsur, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Shahbagh Police Station, said, "They were heading towards the Chief Advisor's Office to lay siege with their procession. We stopped them at the Shahbagh intersection and dispersed them. Now they have taken position in front of the Fine Arts Faculty of Dhaka University."
The protesting teachers said several of their colleagues were injured in the police action.
Witnesses said several hundred teachers started gathering at the Jatiya Press Club and held a rally there. They announced a march towards the CA office and started moving around 12:30pm.
As the agitating teachers, under the banner of "Bangladesh Swatantra Ebtedai Madrasa Shikkhak Oikyojote", reached Shahbagh and broke a police barricade near Shahbagh Police Station, police took action.
The Daily Star's staff photographer from the spot reported that several teachers were injured in police action.
At least five teachers have gone to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with injuries, hospital sources said.
Source: The Daily Star