The government on Saturday removed all entities from under the new universal pension scheme Prattay.
Following the decision, the public university teachers withdrew their month-long work abstention programme across the country, demanding the cancellation of the scheme.
The Finance Division under the finance ministry on the day issued a press release saying that the decision of participation of the employees of the universities, self-governed, autonomous, state-owned, statutory or similar organisations in the new universal pension scheme Prattay has been scrapped.
The country鈥檚 education is in a standstill situation with closure of educational institutions since July 16 in phases following the students鈥� countrywide quota reform protests in which at least 218 people were killed in clashes and their aftermath between July 16 and August 3.
Teachers of different public universities, under the banner of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association, started an indefinite work abstention programme by boycotting classes and examinations on July 1, the day the Prattay pension scheme came into effect.
The federation leaders deemed the scheme discriminatory and went on a strike for an indefinite period pressing for three demands, including inclusion of public university teachers in the super grade, under which senior secretaries are paid, and the establishment of an independent pay structure for public university teachers.
Federation president professor Md Akhtarul Islam told 抖阴精品 on Saturday evening that following the government release they had held a virtual meeting on the same day.
鈥業n the meeting in the presence of vice-chancellors of the universities we took the decision of withdrawing our work abstention considering the current situation of the country,鈥� he said.
He also said that discussion on their other demands would go on.
Administrative activities of the public universities of Bangladesh also came to a halt as the general staff of these universities joined the strike with the same demand for the cancellation of the pension scheme.
A gazette notification issued on March 14 mandated that all officials and employees joining state-owned autonomous and semi-autonomous bodies from July 1, 2024, must be included in the new pension instrument introduced by the National Pension Authority.
Rejecting the gazette, the federation went for protests for the past three months terming the new pension scheme as a conspiracy to destroy the education system.
Federation leaders alleged that they rejected the new scheme as meritorious students would feel discouraged from taking teaching as a profession.
On July 13, ruling Awami League general secretary and road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader met the teachers鈥� leaders and urged them to call off their strike, promising to later consider their demands.
He added that teachers would be included in the pension scheme from July 2025.
The teachers鈥� leaders at that time said that their primary demand was to exclude them from this scheme entirely, rather than deferring the inclusion process.
On July 29, education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury agreed with the protesting teachers on excluding the public university teachers, officers and employees from the scheme.
Of the 55 public universities in the country, 35 are represented by the teachers鈥� federation as they have vice-chancellors and other key officials, according to the federation leaders.
Meanwhile, on July 16, the University Grants Commission requested all public and private universities to close the universities and vacate student halls of residence until further notice.
On the same day, the National University authorities also closed down all colleges under it for an indefinite period.