Dhaka, Feb. 16 -- Police have fired tear gas shells and deployed water cannons to disperse a march of protesting assistant teachers whose appointments at government primary schools in Dhaka and Chattogram were cancelled by the High Court.

The demonstrators had gathered in front of the National Museum in Shahbagh on Sunday morning to stage a "grand rally".

Later, as they attempted to march towards the Secretariat, the protesting teachers encountered police barricades near the Shikkha Bhaban around 3:45pm.

"We tried to take a stand in front of the Secretariat," said Tabassum Maliha, one of the candidates affected by the ruling.

"At that time, police used water cannons on the female teachers. They tried to disperse us by chasing us sever...