The students of Dhaka University have vandalized the entrance of the university’s library as it was closed due to the strike being observed by the teachers and staff demanding the withdrawal of the new universal pension scheme “Prottoy” issued by the Ministry of Finance.

Visiting the central library on Monday morning, it was seen that students were waiting at the gate but the staff told them to wait till 9am. However, when the library did not open at the time, the agitated students threw bricks at the gate in protest, 

Several parts of the entrance were damaged.

The students asked why their education should stop due to the teachers’ protest and why the library should be closed as there are not enough facilities at the university for the students. 

Meanwhile, due to the strike, the classes and examinations of the university are closed, and the official activities of the administrative building are also suspended. 

Some students also complained about not getting emergency medical care at the university's medical centre. 

Work abstention has been going on in 35 public universities across the country since Monday morning. 

In support of the strike, the teachers staged a sit-in program inside the main gate of the Kala Bhaban. At the same time, officers and employees also observed the work abstention.

Prof Nizamul Hoque Buiyan, secretary general of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA), announced the strike at a press conference on Sunday. 

Their demands include the withdrawal of notification of the “Prottoy” scheme, inclusion of university teachers in super grade and introduction of a separate pay scale for teachers.

When asked, Zeenat Huda, general secretary of the teachers' association, said: "This movement is for the students. They will be teachers in the future. All administrative and academic activities are closed as part of the shutdown. This has been done to stop the totalitarianism in the movement.

"We have to make some difficult decisions for the movement. We have repeatedly said, do not force us to make difficult decisions. Instead of asking me, ask the finance ministry why students are not able to enter the library, teachers have to go to the situation of not opening the library.”

What is in the scheme?

Under the current scheme, employees are entitled to a gratuity as a retirement benefit at the end of service.

When an employee retires, he/she receives a large sum as a gratuity. Half the gratuity comes to the employee immediately upon retirement, and the rest is paid in instalments. For the gratuity, no portion of the amount is deducted from the salary. Gratuity depends on employees’ position and number of years in service.

Prof Mahbubur Rahman, president of the Chittagong University Teachers Association, said: “Our current pension is not contributory. No money is deducted from the monthly salary for pension purposes.”

Under the recently introduced Prottoy scheme, 10% of the basic salary or a maximum of Tk5,000, or whichever is less, would be deducted monthly, and the same amount would be provided by the employer.  

According to an amendment to the Universal Pension Scheme Management Act, the Prottoy scheme will be applied to the employees serving all self-governed, autonomous, state-owned, statutory, or homogeneous organizations and their subordinate bodies who would join in such service on July 1, 2024.