Police thwart hunger march of teachers

Thousands of MPO-registered teachers and staff from private educational institutions staged a symbolic hunger march in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon, only to be halted by heavy police presence near the High Court intersection. Carrying empty plates and bowls to protest the government’s recent 5% rent allowance decision, the demonstrators were prevented from advancing toward Shiksha Bhavan—the headquarters of the Ministry of Education. The procession began around 3:30 pm from the Central Shaheed Minar, looping through Doel Chattar before reaching the High Court intersection. There, more than 100 police personnel and six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) formed a barricade, blocking further movement. Undeterred but unable to proceed, the teachers stood at the intersection for nearly an hour, chanting slogans...