Teachers of Jahangirnagar University (JU) continued their half-day work abstention for the third consecutive day on Thursday, staging a sit-in on campus to demand the cancellation of the new universal pension scheme ‘Prottoy’ issued by the finance ministry. They warned of a complete work stoppage starting July 1 if their demands are not met.
During the sit-in, JU Teachers’ Association President Professor Motahar Hossain announced a full-day work abstention for Sunday, followed by an indefinite strike from Monday. “We will not accept this absurd scheme and will continue our movement until our legitimate demands are met. No academic or research activities will take place, and all teachers will abstain from their duties,” he declared.
The teachers emphasized that if their demands are not addressed in the coming days, they will escalate their protest from July 1. Professor Ireen Akhtar from the Institute of Business Administration urged the government to heed their demands to avoid disrespecting teachers. Professor Abdur Rob, dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, vowed to sustain the agitation under the teachers’ association’s leadership.
Professor Bashir Ahmed, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, demanded the reinstatement of the previous pension scheme, stressing the need for respect and justice for teachers. “The dream of building a modern Bangladesh is not possible without showing respect to its teachers,” he added.
Earlier, on June 4, teachers from Dhaka University (DU) and Jagannath University (JnU) also observed a half-day work abstention, protesting the universal pension scheme, which they deemed discriminatory. The finance ministry had announced on March 13 that all employees joining autonomous or similar organizations from July 1, 2024, would be included in the new pension scheme.
