Public university teachers striking over pay scale grievances have urged the prime minister to meet with them, even if only briefly.
The picketing professors, who demand the removal of “pay disparities,” are calling for an immediate review of the eighth national pay scale.
Teachers at 37 public universities across the country made the request on Tuesday, the second day of an indefinite strike over the provisions of the public sector salary scheme.
Speaking to journalists, the president of the Dhaka University Teachers Association (Duta), Farid Uddin Ahmed, said: “We will continue with the protest until our demands are met. We are demonstrating not only for a raise in our salaries. We are fighting to protect our prestige.
“Therefore we are urging the prime minister to hold a 10-minute meeting with us in order to resolve the crisis.”
Asked the strike might hamper academic studies, Farid Uddin Ahmed said: “But we have no alternative. The government and the finance minister are responsible for the situation.”
The strike was announced on January 2 by the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association, which said no effective steps had been taken to remove discrimination against teachers in terms of pay.
After the strike began on Monday, Dhaka University teachers boycotted all classes and examinations but kept only the semester final tests out of the purview of the programme.
Read more: Uni teachers go on strike
President of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association Farid Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune: “We will administer only the ongoing semester final exams but once they are over, no other exams will be held.”
On January 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed secretaries of the ministries concerned to examine the new pay scale’s “discriminatory provisions” that involve different sections of professionals, including public university teachers, and take steps accordingly to resolve the dispute.
But Farid said none from the government had contacted the federation in this regard, except Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid who had held a meeting with them.
“The minister appeared to be positive about our demands,” he added.
Professor Maksud Kamal, secretary general of the federation, said the strike is a movement of professionals and is aimed at ensuring higher education standards in the country.
