At least 50 Ebtedayi madrasa teachers were injured Tuesday afternoon when police used water cannons and sound grenades to violently disperse a peaceful โhunger processionโ near the Secretariat, marking the latest in a string of repressive crackdowns by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government since it assumed power on August 8, 2024.
The teachers, organised under the Independent Ebtedayi Madrasah Teachersโ Unity Alliance, were demanding the nationalisation of primary-level madrasas and other long-pending reforms when the clash erupted around 2pm on Link Road.
According to eyewitnesses and police statements, the demonstration began at the Jatiya Press Club and was intended to march toward Paltan as part of a pre-announced program.
โThey were supposed to go toward Paltan, but broke through a barricade near the Secretariat,โ said Sardar Bulbul, Inspector (Patrol) of Shahbagh police station.
Bangladesh economy faces RMG crisis as BGMEA slams Yunus govt for โneglectโ
Minority groups concerned over violence, propaganda by radical Islamists
Report: 528 Awami League leaders, activists killed since July 2024
Within minutes, water cannons were deployed, followed by sound grenades, scattering hundreds of teachers, many elderly and fasting in protest.
Md Faruk, in charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) police camp, confirmed that 50 injured teachers were brought to the emergency ward. Protest leaders claimed over 100 were hurt, with 17 in serious condition, including one teacher, Keramat, who suffered severe trauma.
Five-Point Demand Ignored for Years
The teachers have been staging a sit-in since October 13, presenting a clear five-point charter:
1. Phased nationalisation of all Ebtedayi madrasasย
2. Immediate gazette for 1,089 MPO-eligible institutionsย
3. Circular for MPO applications from non-grant madrasasย
4. Creation of pre-primary teaching posts
5. Separate directorate for Ebtedayi educationย
Despite repeated appeals, the Yunus administration has refused dialogue, opting instead for force.
Pattern of Suppression Under Yunus Regime
Tuesdayโs crackdown is not isolated. Since last year, the Yunus government has faced mounting criticism for systematically silencing dissent: they unleashed the army, RAB and police personnel on various protests and movements, causing casualties.
Rights groups have condemned the regimeโs tactics. Human Rights Watch described the pattern as โa return to authoritarian control under the guise of reform.โ
Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division), DMP, defended police actions, saying: โMost teachers left the road after the action. A few remained sitting.โ
No official statement has been made by the Chief Adviserโs Office.
With national elections promised by late 2025 but no roadmap in sight, the Yunus administrationโonce celebrated as a beacon of post-revolutionary hopeโnow faces a crisis of credibility.
From students to teachers, workers to industrialists, demands for justice, jobs, and dialogue are met not with discussion, but with water cannons and silence.
As one injured teacher told reporters from his hospital bed: โWe taught the children of this revolution. Now the revolution shoots at us.โ
English