Golam Mahmudunnabi Dollar, president of non-MPO Educational Institution Teacher-Staff Federation, and Binoy Bhushan Roy, general secretary of the federation, are among those who fell sick on Wednesday, the federation’s Office Secretary Dabirul Islam said.

Several hundred teachers from across the country have gathered in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka since Dec 26 to demand that state-sanctioned institutions be brought under the monthly pay order or MPO.

They started a hunger strike on Sunday. More than 50 teachers have fallen sick since.

“Four teachers were admitted to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital in serious condition. The rest are back after taking some primary medical care. However, they are still under treatment on the protest scene,” Dabirul told bdnews24.com.

The federation rejected Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid’s calls to withdraw the strike on Tuesday.

Nahid said he had received consent from Finance Minister AMA Muhith to take steps for MPO inclusion and a policy needed to be drawn up.

But the teachers vowed not to budge until a date was announced for the inclusion.

Golam Mahmudunnabi said the strike would continue as the education minister’s statement sounded ambiguous. “We will leave the spot as soon as the government makes a concrete announcement.”

The leaders might even shut down the organisations if they are not included on the government pay list soon, protest leaders said.

A few hundred teachers of Ebtedayi organisations registered with the Madrasah Education Board took position outside the National Press Club on Jan 1 demanding nationalisation of the organisations.

The teachers would not leave the premises until their demand was met, said Mokhlesur Rahman, secretary general of Swatantra Madrasah Teachers Association.