Teachers from public universities have resolved to continue their movement until their three-point demand is fulfilled, including rejecting the policy to include them in the “Prottoy Scheme” and the reinstatement of the previous pension system.
After a meeting on Saturday morning, leaders of the teacher associations reiterated their stance on continuing the agitation in a conversation with Dhaka Tribune.
A day earlier, a delegation of university teachers held a meeting with Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader on Saturday.
Following a comprehensive discussion, Obaidul Quader expressed confidence that the issues would be resolved expeditiously. He requested that the teachers call off their absentee program, saying that they would talk to federation leaders and make an organizational decision.
However, he noted that all the demands of the teachers could not be met at once, as the government also had arguments regarding the Prottoy Scheme. He assured that if the teachers' demands were reasonable, they would be taken into consideration.
Federation of Bangladeshi Public University Teachers Association (FBUTA) President Prof Md Akhtarul Islam told Dhaka Tribune: "We don't want the 'Prottoy Scheme'. There must be an immediate introduction of super grade and an independent pay scale for teachers.
"We were hoping for a solution after meeting with high-ranking government officials on Saturday, but that progress is still invisible. So all teachers have agreed to continue the movement without any reservations."
When questioned about the outcome of the discussion with government representatives on Saturday, FBUTA General Secretary and Dhaka University Teachers Association President Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan described it as productive. Nonetheless, no specific timeline was provided regarding the fulfillment of their demands.
“During the meeting, our demands were formally submitted in writing to the Prime Minister via the government representative, emphasizing the urgency for prompt action to address teachers' concerns. We want to return to the classroom," said the teachers' representative.