DHAKA, Dec 3, 2025 (BSS) - Primary and Mass Education Ministry has directed the several organizations of assistant teachers of government primary schools to withdraw their work abstention and examination boycott programmes and return to duty.

An official handout issued here said the ministry has been informed about the work abstention called by several associations of assistant teachers of government primary schools from December 1 and the subsequent so-called "complete shutdown" programme from 3 December.

The Ministry has issued the following statement regarding the steps already taken and the current situation:

Regarding the demand for placing assistant teachers in the 11th grade pay scale, along with two other demands-resolving complexities surrounding higher grade benefits after 10 and 16 years of service, and ensuring 100 percent departmental promotion of assistant teachers to the position of head teacher, letters have already been sent to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Administration. 

Primary and Mass Education Adviser has personally discussed the implementation of these demands with finance adviser, and the pay commission chairman. 

Earlier, on August 7, 2025, the Ministry sent a letter to the Chairman of the National Pay Commission 2025, requesting consideration of upgrading the assistant teachers' pay scale from 13th grade to 11th grade.

The Finance Ministry informed the ministry of primary and mass education at a meeting held on November 10, 2025 that steps would be taken immediately after receiving the pay commission's report regarding the upgradation of the pay scale.

Despite these measures, it has been observed that several associations of assistant teachers avoided conducting the ongoing annual examinations and, in various places, created obstacles to the examination process. 

In some instances, teachers willing to conduct examinations were attacked and physically harassed.

Such undesirable programmes, which push innocent students' academic life into uncertainty, are violation of government service act and the code of conduct and can be considered under code of criminal procedure.

Under the circumstances, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry has instructed all assistant teachers of government primary schools to immediately return to duty and ensure the proper completion of all activities related to the third-term examinations. 

Otherwise, disciplinary action will be taken against teachers involved in such misconduct under the Government Service Act, code of conduct, and the code of criminal procedure, the ministry said.