University teachers have resolved to persist with their protest against the Prottoy pension scheme until their demands are met, although they remain optimistic about the government’s potential response.
This decision was announced during the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA) meeting held online on Sunday, following a constructive discussion with Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader the previous day.
Responding to a question, FBUTA President Prof. Akhtarul Islam told Dhaka Tribune: “Today’s meeting (Sunday) elaborated on yesterday’s (Saturday) discussions. Our movement will persist as our demands have not yet been met. However, our written statement from yesterday was accepted and will be presented to the prime minister, which gives us hope that our demands will be addressed.”
The Prottoy universal pension scheme mandates inclusion for officers and employees of autonomous, semi-autonomous, state-owned, statutory, or similar institutions. Since July 1, university teachers nationwide have been actively opposing this scheme. Federation leaders have warned of more stringent actions if a resolution is not reached.
According to sources, government employees paid from the revenue sector contribute to the General Provident Fund (GPF), while those paid outside the revenue sector contribute to the Contributory Provident Fund (CPF). Under the existing CPF system, employees contribute 10% of their basic salary, while the institution contributes 8.33%.
In the Prottoy scheme, the institution will contribute an amount equal to 10% of the basic salary, which is 1.67% more than the existing CPF system.
