Staff Reporter :Teachers have threatened to shut down country’s all public universities from January 2 if their demands, including reviewing their pay scale, are not met by the current month.President Farid Uddin Ahmed and General Secretary ASM Maksud Kamal of Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA), a platform of 37 public universities, came up with the threat at a press conference at Dhaka University Club on Sunday.The teachers also sought Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention and demanded removal of Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith.The teachers also staged demonstrations and brought out processions on their respective campuses to press home their several demands, including reviewing the proposed 8th National Pay Scale, and protesting their status in the pay scale.Apart from these, they also abstained from work, staged sit-in and carried out a mass signature.”The finance minister had clearly assured us of implementing our demands. But he (Finance Minister) cheated with us. So, there is no option but to go for tough movement,” FBUTA President Farid Uddin Ahmed told reporters.Replying to a query about tough movement, he said it does mean completely shut down of the universities. “We are seeking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention in this regard,” said the FBUTA president. “We got shocked and aggrieved as the government has dropped our selection grade and time scale in the 8th National Pay Scale announced recently,” Farid Uddin Ahmed said.He said, they feel dishonoured in the new pay scale as their grade has been decreased by 4 to 5 grade. “The Finance Minister has broken his promise with us,” he said. “Salary is no matter but honour matters. We will go for movement to press for our demands,” he said.General Secretary ASM Maksud Kamal said public universities’ teachers would continue to put pressure on the government to remove the Finance Minister.”If the finance minister himself resigns, it will be good for all. We will apply to the Prime Minister to remove him (Finance Minister) immediately to keep the situation stable,” he added.He said the government has assured them of giving super grade-2, a grade created for senior secretaries, to senior teachers but there is no reflection of it in the gazette of the pay scale.The teachers said they are feeling seriously humiliated as the government has created super grade for the bureaucrats but degraded the position of public university teachers.The Dhaka University teachers also held a rally on the campus on Sunday where many DU as well as other universities took part. Similar programmes were organised in other public universities.
