Eighth day into hunger strike seeking nationalisation of registered Ebtedayee madrasa, the striking teachers called off the programme this afternoon following government assurance of fulfilling their demand shortly.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and newly appointed State Minister for Technical and Madrasa Education Kazi Keramot Ali gave them the assurance, reports the UNB.

Carrying the ministers’ words of assurance, Technical and Madrasa Education Division Secretary Md. Alamgir went to the fasting teachers in front of National Press Club around 2 pm.  Following that the teachers withdrew their strike.

Abu Musa Buyain, joint-general secretary of Bangladesh Independent Ebtedayee Madrasa Teachers’ Association told UNB that they were calling off their programme by putting trust on ministers’ promise.

He also said the Secretary also assured that within three-day ministry will prepare a final list of registered Ebtedayee madrasas as many of the previously registered  8,500 madrasas are no more in operation.

Secretary General of the Association, Mokhlesur Rahman, told UNB that they gave an ultimatum to the Secretary to realise their demand before next national budget announcement in June 2018. 

He also added, ‘we hope our demand will soon be translated into reality considering the sufferings of the Ebtedayee madrasa teachers’.

On January 1, the Ebtedayee teachers arranged a sit-in programme following which on January 8, they submitted separate memoranda to the Education Ministry and Finance Ministry and after that on January 9, and the teachers went on the indefinite hunger strike demanding the nationalisation of 8,500 registered Ebtedayee madrasas.