The University Teachers Association of Bangladesh (UTAB), a pro-BNP teachers' organization, has placed a 12-point demand, including the introduction of a uniform and dignified pay structure for teachers at all levels.
The demands were announced on Sunday at a press conference held at Sir PJ Hartog International Hall of Dhaka University on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day.
In a written statement, UTAB President and Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Open University Prof Dr ABM Obaidul Islam said: “Teachers from the primary to the university level are facing professional devaluation and financial hardship in Bangladesh while World Teachers’ Day is being observed across the globe in a spirit of upholding teachers’ dignity and professional rights.”
He said that government primary school teachers are recruited under the 13th grade of the national pay scale, the lowest among South Asian countries.
The UTAB president further said that compared to their counterparts in government institutions, non-government MPO-enlisted teachers at the secondary and higher secondary levels suffer from extreme discrimination in salary and benefits.
Nearly 97% of secondary-level education in the country is conducted through non-government institutions, where a large number of teachers live in financial uncertainty.
Non-government teachers also do not have access to a universal pension scheme.
He pointed out that teachers of non-government colleges offering honours and master’s programs under the National University have yet to be brought under the MPO scheme, calling it a grossly discriminatory policy.
Among the 12 demands includes Implementing a uniform and dignified pay structure for teachers at all levels; ensuring a transparent and modern promotion process; providing international-standard training, research opportunities, and digital skills development for teachers; reducing administrative burdens so that teachers can focus on teaching; introducing a universal pension scheme for non-government teachers and ensuring immediate payment of all retirement benefits; introducing a separate, dignified, and higher pay scale for university teachers in line with international standards.
Other demands include providing international-standard research allowances to expand research opportunities; ensuring at least one national and one international conference participation per year for each teacher with travel and financial incentives; offering special incentives for publication in quality journals; ensuring job security, proper pay structures, and research opportunities for private university teachers; guaranteeing academic freedom and a research-friendly environment at universities; and ensuring teachers’ dignity, social status, and workplace safety through both government and social initiatives.
The press conference was attended by UTAB General Secretary Prof Dr Morshed Hasan Khan, Treasurer Prof Abul Kalam Sarkar, Jahangirnagar University VC Prof Kamrul Ahsan, National University Pro-VC Prof Lutfor Rahman, Pabna University of Science and Technology VC Prof Dr SM Abdul Awal, UTAB Senior Vice President Prof Dr Abdur Rashid, Vice President Prof Dr Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan, and central leaders Prof Dr Abdus Salam, Prof Dr Mohiuddin, Prof Mehedi Hasan Khan, Prof Dr Golam Rabbani, Prof Dr Abdul Karim, and Prof Khairul Islam Rubel, among others.