Dhaka, Nov. 18 -- Primary and Mass Education Advisor Bidhan Ranjan Roy Poddar has expressed sorrow over the death of assistant teacher Fatema Akter, who fell ill after police fired sound grenades during a teachers' protest.

On Tuesday, he pledged support for her family but insisted that responsibility for the confrontation lay with the leaders who organised what he termed an "irrational" movement.

He said, "She was a member of our family, and we will try to support her family."

Fatema, an assistant teacher at Jhinaiya Government Primary School in Matlab Uttar, Chandpur, died in a Dhaka hospital on Sunday.

Teachers leading the movement claim three teachers became ill when police fired sound grenades during their Nov 8 protest demanding...