Agitation against universal pension scheme in CUET

The Teachers Association and Staff Association of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) have started a separate movement to demand that all teachers, officers and employees working in public universities be exempted from the notification related to universal pension.

Sunday (19 May) at 12 noon in front of the office of the Vice-Chancellor of CUET, the CUET Staff Association formed a human chain in solidarity with the program announced by the Bangladesh Inter-University Employees Federation.  Around 500 employees were present in the human chain. They demanded to keep university employees free from universal pension scheme besides increasing promotion facilities and introducing ninth pay scale in the next budget.

In the program, CUET Staff Association Net President and Bangladesh Inter-University Staff Federation Organizing Secretary Md. Jamal Uddin said, "We want to get rid of this discriminatory pension scheme as soon as possible."  If our demand is not met, we will stop the CUET bus, hall dining, electricity, water if necessary.  However, we will not accept this discrimination.

At the same place at 12:30 noon, Chuet Teachers Association organized a silent march and human chain in solidarity with the program announced by Bangladesh University Teachers Association Federation.  More than hundred teachers of CUET participated in it.  Among others, Vice-Chancellor of CUET Dr. Jamal Uddin Ahmed was also present.

At this time, the president of the CUET Teachers' Association, Prof. Dr.  GM  Sadiqul Islam said, if universal pension scheme is introduced in public universities, talented people will lose interest in teaching profession.  In CUET, teachers are promoted through a new recruitment.  As a result, it will be seen that after getting promoted, the current teachers will also come under the universal pension scheme.  Therefore, the teachers, officers and employees of the university should be freed from the scope of this discriminatory scheme without delay.

Note that the notification issued by the Ministry of Finance of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh on March 13, 2024 excluded university teachers and officials from the current pension system and included them in the universal pension scheme.  As a result, all those appointed on and after July 1 will be financially affected.