Staff Reporter
The diploma engineers started agitation programme from Monday across the country to put pressure on the government to accept their various demands.
Their demands, among other things, include an immediate amendment to the 8th National Pay Scale in order to remove disparity in salary between the Diploma and B.Sc engineers.
They claimed that a big discrimination has been created in the pay scale between the B.Sc and Diploma Engineers.
At a press conference held in Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) on Monday, the leaders of the Institution of Diploma Engineers Bangladesh (IDEB) disclosed different demands, including silent processions, across the country till February 29. After that, the IDEB will submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister through divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners.
If the discrimination of salary is not resolved within the period, they will announce a harder agitation programme through another press conference in the city.
President of IDEB Engineer AKMA Hamid said that though the government had assured the diploma engineers of increasing and expanding their existing facilities, no initiative has yet been taken. So, frustration has caught the diploma engineers who have no second option rather than starting movement, said a leader on condition of anonymity.
IDEB President said, a diploma engineer on appointment as Sub-Assistant Engineer will get Tk 16,000 as salary. After 10 years in service, he will be entitled to Tk 22,000 in the ninth grade and then Tk 23,000 after 16 years in the 8th grade.
Contrarily, a B.Sc engineer on appointment as assistant engineer will get Tk 23,000 as salary. After 16 years, he will be getting Tk 50,000 in the 4th grade. This is really sorrowful, he said.
General Secretary of IDEB Md Shamsur Rahman in his written speech at the conference said, the diploma engineers are quite frustrated. Fifty thousand diploma engineers are always contributing to the development of the country. They want justice.
Meanwhile, agriculture, livestock and diploma nursing have expressed their support to the programme of diploma engineers.
