The academic, administrative and other activities at 35 public universities remained suspended as teachers and employees of these educational institutions continued their work abstention for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.
In such circumstances, students have been facing untold sufferings due to non-cooperation from the teachers and employees.
The students are not being able to continue library work or to solve their official and administrative complicacies.
Teachers and employees of 35 public universities have been continuing the programme under the banner of Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association demanding their exclusion from Universal Pension Scheme (UPS).
As part of the movement, the federation called for a boycott of classes, examinations and administrative work a day before the start of the implementation of ‘Prattay’, a new pension scheme introduced by the National Pension Authority.
The federation announced the programme to press home their demand at a press conference held at the main gate of Arts Faculty of Dhaka University on June 30.
Besides, the Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) issued a notice on Sunday, addressing the teachers of the university. Classes and exams including regular, evening programmes, professional programmes, online and offline classes and the administrative activities remained suspended at all public universities, including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Rajshahi University, Shahjalal University of Science and
Technology, Jagannath Univeristy, Jahangirnagar University and Khulna University.
Chairman offices, hall provost offices, research centres, institutes, central library, dean offices, computer labs and seminars also remain shut. Dhaka University Officers-employees, under the banner Officers-employees Oikya Parishad, called a strike and protest programme demanding cancellation of ‘discriminatory’ notification related to Universal Pension (Prattoy Scheme).
Officers and employees of other public universities also went on strike.
The Universal Pension Scheme started its journey on August 17, 2023 with four schemes: Prabashi, Pragati, Suraksha, and Equality.
Later, a new scheme, the Pratyay scheme, was introduced for the officers and employees of all autonomous and state-owned organisations.
BU teachers, staff continue work abstention
For the second consecutive day on Tuesday, teachers and staff at Barishal University observed a two-hour work abstention demanding withdrawal of the gazette notification on the pension scheme known as ‘Prattay’.
Protests, led by BU Teachers Association and BU Officers Association, began at 11 am with a sit-in on the university’s ground floor and continued until 1 pm.
All classes, examinations, and academic activities were suspended, causing significant inconvenience to students.
The protesters called for withdrawal of the Prattay pension scheme, inclusion of teachers in the super grade, and introduction of individual pay scale for teachers.
Dr. Mohammad Abdul Baten Chowdhury, president of the BU Teachers Association, said they would continue their program until their demands are met.
Bahauddin Golap, president of the BU Officers Association, sought Prime Minister’s intervention to resolve the issue.
