The Appellate Division has suspended the High Court’s verdict that canceled the government’s decision to appoint 6,531 candidates as assistant teachers in government primary schools in Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.

The order was issued today, Monday, by a three-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Senior Justice Md. Ashfaqul Islam.

Earlier, on Sunday, the Directorate of Primary Education requested additional time for the scheduled hearing. Attorney General Md. Asaduzzaman and lawyer Muntasir Uddin Ahmed represented the petitioner in court.

On February 6, the High Court had ruled to cancel the recruitment of these 6,531 assistant teachers and directed the authorities to complete the process afresh based on merit. Following the verdict, the disqualified candidates expressed outrage and staged protests, while the Directorate of Primary Education filed an appeal seeking a stay on the order. On February 18, the Appellate Division set March 2 as the hearing date for the appeal.

The recruitment process began with a job circular for assistant teachers in government primary schools on June 14, 2023. The Directorate of Primary Education finalized the selection of 6,531 candidates and published the results on October 31. Appointment letters were scheduled to be issued on November 20. However, a legal challenge was filed by disqualified candidates, citing non-compliance with the quota system outlined in the gazette published on July 23, leading to the High Court’s verdict and subsequent legal proceedings.