Dhaka: Hundreds of teachers and students took position in front of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia’s Gulshan office on Thursday demanding that educational activities be kept out of the purview of the ongoing hartal and blockade programmes enforced by the BNP-led 20-Party Alliance.

The teachers and students holding placards and white flags, under the banner of Bangladesh Karigori Shikhkak Samity Federation, marched towards the BNP chief’s Gulshan office at road No-86 at about 11:45am.

Earlier, they gathered at Gulshan-2 crossing and lined up there before starting their march towards Khaleda’s office where she has been staying since January 3.

The teachers and students stayed in front of the BNP chairperson’s office for some time peacefully holding placards inscribed with various anti-violence slogans and call to the opposition for withdrawing the hartal and blockade for smooth functioning of educational activities and holding of the SSC examinations.

Later, Karigori Shikhkak Samity Federation president professor MA Sattar submitted a memorandum to the BNP chief through her security personnel with their demand for keeping educational activities out of the ambit of the political programmes.

The Secondary School certificate examinations that were scheduled to begin on Monday rescheduled twice due to the countrywide hartal enforced by the BNP alliance.

Teachers and students of different schools have been forming human chain in front of the BNP chief’s office since last week urging her not to enforce hartal and blockade programmes during the SSC examinations.

The BNP-led 20-party enforced hartal from 6:00am Sunday to 6:00pm Thursday, forcing the authorities concerned to defer the scheduled exams twice.

After the teachers and students had left the BNP chief’s Gulshan office, a group of workers also staged demonstrations there wearing shrouds demanding withdrawal of the ongoing hartal and blockade as these political progrmmes are badly affecting tier livelihood.