Staff Reporter :
Classes in all public universities except three resumed on Wednesday, after nine days of suspension due to an indefinite strike by teachers protesting ‘disparities’ in the 8th National Pay Scale.
Teachers of public universities returned to their classes in the morning as per the decision taken by the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association (FBUTA) on Tuesday.
The leaders of FBUTA took the decision to return to classes after getting assurance from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Academic activities were seen normal in 34 public universities including Dhaka University, Chittagong University, Jagannath University, Khulna University and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.
The classes of Rajshahi University, Khulna University of Engineering Technology and Khulna University will resume today (Thursday) to mark that all 37 public universities resumed classes.
President of FBUTA Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, said that as per decision of the Federation, classes of all public universities resumed.
He said, the teachers will continue talks over their demand of “pay parity” with bureaucrats and other high ups in the meantime. “We will hold another meeting on February 3 to assess the development of the situation.” Life returned at the Dhaka University campus with the gathering of students as high attendance was witnessed throughout the campus.
The leaders of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association said that they would take classes of the university during the weekly vacation (Friday, Saturday) to overcome the losses.
A student of Department of Fisheries, Alok Ghosh told The New Nation that it was the first day of class in the New Year.
Sujana Azmi Polin, a student of Mathematics Department said she admitted the department under the session of 2015-16. Her class was scheduled to be held after January 10. But her class is yet to start, she said.
Meanwhile, Professor Sarwar Jahan, Secretary of Khulna University Teachers’ Association, said teachers of the university have decided to take classes from Thursday.
Vice-Chancellor of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology Professor MD Alamgir said the classes will resume on Thursday.
However, no classes were held at Rajshahi University on Wednesday as the teachers have decided to take classes from Thursday after a meeting. Besides, the classes at Chittagong University resumed in the morning after 17 days of suspension as the teachers went on a strike from January 3 to realise their various demands, including the removal of discriminations in the 8th Pay Scale, retaining the selection grade and the time scale. On January 11, teachers of the country’s 37 public universities went on the non-stop strike protesting the ‘discriminations’ against them in new pay scale.
They had been on protests since the 8th National Pay Scale was announced on May 14 last year, advocating for a four-point demand that includes formation of a commission to introduce as independent pay scale for them.
