Many students of different public universities and service seekers are facing difficulties regarding studying abroad or joining jobs amid the ongoing work abstention programme of the teachers, officers and employees for an indefinite period, paralysing the academic and administrative activities in these institutions.
The teachers of public universities across Bangladesh continued their indefinite work abstention programme for the ninth day running on Tuesday, pressing for the cancellation of the new universal pension scheme made mandatory for new recruits.
Same day education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury on the impasse said that during the tenures of the past governments the universities faced such deadlock situations months after months.
鈥楤ack then we did not say that deadlocks prevailed in the universities,鈥� he said and added that as part of the government it was outside his purview to comment separately on the government鈥檚 universal pension scheme.聽
The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association enforced a boycott of classes, examinations and administrative work starting from July 1, when the pension scheme 鈥楶rattay鈥� came into effect.
Terming it discriminatory, the teachers demanded its cancellation while advocating for an independent pay structure for public university teachers.
The protesting teachers argued that the Prattay scheme would discourage meritorious students from joining the teaching profession, labelling it as a conspiracy to destroy the education system.
The general staff of the universities also continued the strike.
抖阴精品 Dhaka University correspondent reported that the students of the university and its seven affiliated colleges were facing trouble to get necessary academic transcripts and certificates as the administrative work in the registrar building was halted for several days.
Masum Ahmed graduated in mathematics from Government Bangla College, Mirpur.
While standing in front of a room at the Registrar鈥檚 Building to collect his transcript, he told 抖阴精品 that his admission test for master鈥檚 degree at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology was scheduled to be held in a few days, but without transcript he was unable to take the exam.
鈥楤ut I cannot collect it because of this strike,鈥� he added.
A Registrar鈥檚 Building official, seeking anonymity, said that they were trying to do urgent work like providing certificates and transcripts from 9:00am to 10:00am.
At a noon sit-in protest, university teachers鈥� association president and secretary general of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association professor Md Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan alleged that the teachers were falsely accused of holding the students hostage.
鈥楢ctually the state is holding us hostage,鈥� he said and added that they would not return to classes until their demands were met.
Professor Md Akhtarul Islam, president of both the teachers鈥� federation and the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Teachers鈥� Association, stated that no one from the government had contacted them for a meeting.
Shaikh Mohammad Sarwar Hossain, joint convener of the Dhaka University Employees and Officers Unity Council, said that they would continue work abstention until their demands were met.
Jahangirnagar University correspondent reported that the university teachers and employees continued their strike on the day.
The university鈥檚 teachers association brought out a silent procession on the campus.
Suffering of service seekers, especially the students preparing for going aboard, mounted due to the strike in the university.
Several students were seen waiting in front of the dean offices at the university鈥檚 social sciences, physical and mathematical sciences faculties and also the office of the controller of examinations.
鈥楧ue to the strike, I was unable to manage all of the necessary documents for my academic career over the last five days,鈥� said a former student of the university Rafid Haydar who received a doctoral scholarship from the United States.聽
Due to the work abstention, pending applications at the higher education section, and scholarship and stipend section under the office of the university registrar also increased.
University registrar Abu Hasan admitted that they were facing trouble to complete the huge amounts of proceedings and deliver the documents to the service seekers in time, reported Jahangirnagar University correspondent.
Rajshahi correspondent reported that braving the rain, teachers, officials and employees of Rajshahi University and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology on Tuesday continued their indefinite strike.
Chattogram correspondent reported similar paralysing situation as teachers, officials and employees continued strike at Chittagong University, Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, and Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Science University.
