Public university teachers are scheduled for today to hold a meeting to decide their next course of action following their meeting with ruling Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader.
After the meeting at AL president鈥檚 Dhanmondi office on Saturday, Quader told reporters that the public university teachers would come under the new universal pension scheme from July 2025, not from this year.
The teachers of public universities across the country have continued an indefinite work abstention since July 1 demanding the cancellation of the pension scheme Prattay.
Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, urged the teachers to call off their strike assuring them of considering their demands later.
He said that all new recruits under the government and autonomous bodies would be included in the new pension scheme from July 1, 2025.
A gazette notification issued on March 14, however, made it mandatory for all officials and employees who would join state-owned autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies from July 1, 2024 onwards to be included in the new pension instrument.
The protesting teachers vowed to continue their strike today and called a meeting today to decide their next course of action.
The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Associations enforced a boycott of classes and examinations from July 1, when the pension scheme came into effect.
They continued the strike for the 13th consecutive day on Saturday shutting all academic activities.
Terming the scheme discriminatory, they also demanded inclusion of public university teachers in super grade in which the senior secretaries get salary and an independent pay structure for public university teachers.
The general staff of the universities also joined the strike, halting the administrative activities.
Amidst the strike, Quader and senior AL leaders met 15 federation leaders on Saturday.
At a briefing after the meeting, Quader said that there was a misunderstanding over the date of the enforcement of the new pension scheme for the teachers.
He also said that discussion would be held later on the teachers鈥� demands for the super grade and independent pay structure.
鈥榃e will discuss the demands considering the dignity and financial facilities of all public university teachers,鈥� he said, adding, 鈥榳e will take next decision based on discussion.鈥�
At the meeting, the prime minister鈥檚 education and cultural affairs adviser Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and state minister for education Begum Shamsun Nahar Chapa were also present.
Professor Akhtarul Islam, presidents of both of the teachers鈥� federation and the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Teachers鈥� Association, told 抖阴精品 that they were happy that a discussion with the government started.
鈥極ur demand is not for the scheme to be started in this year or next year, our demand is to keep us out the purview of this scheme,鈥� he said adding, 鈥榳e will continue our strike tomorrow [Sunday].鈥�
He said that they called a meeting with the leaders of all public university teachers today to inform them about Saturday鈥檚 discussion with the government and to decide their next course of action.