Government secondary school teachers have temporarily suspended their ongoing work stoppage, clearing the way for annual examinations to begin across the country on Wednesday.

Bangladesh Government Secondary Teachers’ Association (BGSTA) announced the decision on Tuesday night, citing concern for students’ academic well-being and the need to ease mounting academic pressure.

In a press statement, BGSTA said that safeguarding students’ futures and restoring normal academic activities are core responsibilities of teachers.

The association called on all concerned to ensure the smooth conduct of annual examinations in schools nationwide starting Wednesday.

The teachers’ body also urged authorities to take effective measures to address its long-standing and “legitimate” demands, so that academic activities are not disrupted again.

It said further decisions regarding its movement will be announced after internal discussions.

BGSTA had begun a full-day work stoppage on December 1, pressing a four-point demand including elevating entry-level teachers to the 9th grade.

During the programme, teachers abstained from annual exams, SSC test examinations and script evaluation, creating uncertainty in schools across the country.