At least 50 Ebtedayi madrasa teachers were injured Tuesday afternoon when police used water cannons and sound grenades to violently disperse a peaceful “hunger procession” 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 Teachers’ 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.
“They were supposed to go toward Paltan, but broke through a barricade near the Secretariat,” said Sardar Bulbul, Inspector (Patrol) of Shahbagh police station.
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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 madrasas
2. Immediate gazette for 1,089 MPO-eligible institutions
3. Circular for MPO applications from non-grant madrasas
4. Creation of pre-primary teaching posts
5. Separate directorate for Ebtedayi education
Despite repeated appeals, the Yunus administration has refused dialogue, opting instead for force.
Pattern of Suppression Under Yunus Regime
Tuesday’s 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 regime’s tactics. Human Rights Watch described the pattern as “a return to authoritarian control under the guise of reform.”
Masud Alam, Deputy Commissioner (Ramna Division), DMP, defended police actions, saying: “Most teachers left the road after the action. A few remained sitting.”
No official statement has been made by the Chief Adviser’s Office.
With national elections promised by late 2025 but no roadmap in sight, the Yunus administration—once celebrated as a beacon of post-revolutionary hope—now 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: “We taught the children of this revolution. Now the revolution shoots at us.”
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