Police use water cannon, sound grenades to disperse Ebtedayee madrasah teachers
At least 50 teachers were injured and are now receiving treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital
Police today (29 October) used a water cannon and sound grenades to disperse a "hunger procession" of Ebtedayee madrasah teachers as they marched towards the Secretariat, demanding the nationalisation of the Ebtedayee madrasah education system.
At least 50 madrasah teachers are receiving treatment at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) emergency department, said Md Faruk, in charge of the DMCH police outpost.
The police action against the educators from primary-level institutions under the madrasah education board occurred at around 2pm.
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"Police used sound grenades and water cannons to disperse the procession," said Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Ramna Division.
Most of the teachers had left the road, but a few were still sitting at the spot, he added.
Protesting teachers later gathered in front of the National Press Club.
One of the teachers said that over 100 teachers were injured during the police action. "Among them, a teacher named Keramat, who sustained serious injuries, was taken to DMCH for treatment."
Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman, chairman of the Independent Ebtedayee Madrasah Teachers' Unity Alliance, also claimed that more than 100 teachers were injured, with 17 seriously wounded now under treatment at DMCH.
Meanwhile, Dr Tasneem Zara, senior joint member secretary of the National Citizen Party (NCP), visited DMCH to see the injured teachers.
