The indefinite strike enforced by teachers and employees of public universities over pension scheme and protest against quota system in government jobs have forced different public universities postpone their admission process and orientation courses for the 2023-24 academic year.
With the postponement of the academic and administrative activities, sufferings to the students are feared to be increased with session jams.
Rajshahi University, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), have been postponed their admission process and orientation courses for the 2023-24 academic year, according to the admission-related websites.
Those websites mentioned that new dates would be announced later.
The announcement stated that the orientation class for the students admitted to CUET, KUET, and RUET for the 2023-24 academic year has been postponed due to unavoidable reasons.
Additionally, the fourth phase of the admission process, scheduled for July 14 and 15, has also been postponed due to unavoidable reasons. The new admission dates will be communicated to the students via SMS and the website.
Earlier, the fourth phase of the admission process was scheduled for July 14 and 15. Before that, it was supposed to take place on July 3 and 4.
Meanwhile, the orientation class date for the three universities was scheduled for July 31.
It is learnt that the indefinite strike by teachers and employees of public universities over pension scheme and student protests against the quota system in government jobs have left higher education in total disarray.
As both the movements are going on simultaneously across the country, classes and examinations at public universities have been suspended.
Many have expressed fears that if such a situation continues, the higher education system may collapse while vested quarters may fish in troubled waters.
The teachers and employees of 35 public universities have shut all academic and administrative since July 1, demanding abolition of new Universal Pension Scheme—Prottoy.
Students and job seekers are also staging demonstrations by blocking roads and highways across the country, protesting the High Court’s recent ruling to restore 30 per cent quota in public services for the children of freedom fighters.
Students, however, fear that they would face a session jam due to work abstention by teachers.
Against the backdrop, the agitating teachers said they would not shoulder the responsibility for the session jam. They also said it is
Not only a movement of the teachers, rather this movement is for the dignity of teachers, employees and students of universities.
They have been compelled to continue the strike. And if their demand is met, they will make the loss of students by taking extra classes, they added.
In such circumstances, students have been facing problem due to the strike by the teachers and employees. Even the students are not being able to continue library work.
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 implementation of ‘Prottoy’, 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.
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 University, Jahangirnagar University and Khulna University.
Chairmen offices, hall provost offices, research centres, institutes, central library, dean offices, computer labs and seminars also remain shut.
