FBUTA temporarily expels JnU assoc for 'flouting discipline'

Jagannath University Teachers Association (JnUTA) was "temporarily expelled" from the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association (FBUTA) last night for, what seems to be, announcing an independent programme bypassing the latter's control over the movement demanding a separate pay scale for public university teachers.

Meanwhile, demonstrating government college teachers called upon Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid to remove the "discrimination" they were facing in the eighth national pay scale, saying they did not want a separate pay scale.

JnUTA was expelled for their "anti-disciplinary act" and as per the decision FBUTA took during its September 10 executive council meeting, says a press release.

"In that meeting, we decided that the federation will lead the teachers' movement and that no association would go for separate programmes bypassing the federation," an FBUTA member told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.

Moreover, FBUTA, a platform of teachers' associations of all 37 public universities, on Tuesday met the education minister and announced to continue holding exams and admission tests till the end of this month. If the demand is not met by then, the teachers plan on abstaining from work for an indefinite period from November 1.

However, JnUTA yesterday announced boycotting an admission test scheduled to begin at Jagannath University tomorrow afternoon to press home the pay scale demand, prompting the expulsion decision within a few hours.

JnUTA acted against FBUTA's decision and breached organisational rules, said the FBUTA member. Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Mizanur Rahman has called for an urgent meeting of the Academic Council today. The admission test of "B" unit was scheduled for tomorrow, "C" unit October 16, "A" unit October 30, "D" unit November 6 and "E" unit November 13. JnU data says some 185,079 aspirants have registered to sit for the exams for 2015-16 session.

COLLEGE TEACHERS

A delegation of BCS General Education Association, a platform of teachers and officials belonging to the education cadre, led by its president, Prof Nasrin Begum, met the minister at his office where the latter assured doing everything for ensuring teachers' dignity. The association has been waging a movement where government college teachers and education cadre officials have been protesting cancellation of selection grade and time scale in the pay scale.

They abstained from work three times last month to press home their four-point demand, including reinstating the selection grade and time scale and upgrading salary of different posts under this cadre.

The association's secretary general, Prof IK Selim Ullah Khondaker said they would again abstain from work on October 18 and 19 and stage a sit-in before the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education on November 1.