Scientists, officers, and employees under the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission on Thursday announced a two-day sit-in programme, set to begin on April 27, to press home their demands, including the re-establishment of the commission鈥檚 autonomy.
The sit-in, scheduled from 10:00am to 12:00 noon, will be observed at the commission鈥檚 head office at Agargaon as well as across its 40 affiliated institutes countrywide, said a press release issued by the Atomic Energy Commission on Thursday.
The announcement came after the Ministry of Science and Technology did not address their concerns within the ultimatum set at a press conference on April 22.
During the sit-in, mass signatures will also be collected.聽
Their demands include the permanent appointment of a chairperson and members to fill vacant posts and form a full commission without delay, an immediate end to ministerial interference in matters under the commission鈥檚 jurisdiction to preserve its autonomy and ensure a respectful, research-friendly work environment, and restoration of the commission鈥檚 authority to approve and nominate scientists for higher education and training abroad.
The other demands include upholding the commission鈥檚 authority to maintain the commission鈥檚 funds in scheduled banks and manage its necessary expenditures in accordance with Sections 20(1) and 20(2) of the BAEC Act 2017, reinstating all demoted scientists, officers, and employees to their designated grades to eliminate existing discrimination, cancelling the decision to finalise the Power Purchase Agreement between Nuclear Power Plant Company Bangladesh Limited and the Power Development Board, excluding the commission as the owner organisation, and refraining from demanding irrelevant information or compelling inclusion in the Integrated Digital Service Delivery Platform as a prerequisite for granting the GEO.
At the press conference on April 22, the comission鈥檚 employees said that the ministry halted funding for the BAEC, jeopardising the continuity of services and research activities, as well as the payment of salaries to its 2,500 current staff and pensions for its scientists, officers, and employees, over the implementation of the iBAS++ system to manage financial activities without a feasibility assessment.
Mentioning that they have not received payment since March this year, they said that the Atomic Energy Commission refused to accept such a method, as it would put the country鈥檚 nuclear security at risk.聽聽