The High Court today directed the government to recruit around 2,500 people who qualified as assistant teachers of government primary schools in 2012.

The court also ordered the government not to take steps for fresh recruitment of teachers for the primary schools until the 2,500 are recruited.

The High Court bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Bhisma Dev Chakrabortty came up with the verdict after hearing 72 writ petitions jointly filed by the candidates.

Petitioners' counsel SK Md Morshed told reporters that the government issued a circular on August 4 2011 for appointing teachers of government primary schools across the country.

A total of 27,720 persons, out of 11,20,299 candidates, qualified for the posts. Of them, the government appointed only 12,711 in 2014.

After the government issued a press circular for fresh appointment of government primary school teachers in September last year, 2,500 of the deprived qualified candidates filed 72 writ petitions challenging the press circular.