VCs threaten unrest at public universities

Bangladesh's public universities will witness unrest if the government does not immediately revise the proposed "repressive" national payscale to ensure teachers' honour and dignity, warned some vice-chancellors (VC) yesterday.

Meeting the education minister at his secretariat office, they blamed some bureaucrats of discriminating against university teachers and demanded that the government starts the process to formulate a separate payscale for the university teachers.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid assured taking the demands into consideration and urged not to initiate any movement.

"I have informed the president, prime minister and top officials of the government. The prime minister told me that the government would not do anything that dishonours teachers," he said.

Moreover, the proposed payscale has not been finalised yet. The finance and public administration ministries are reviewing the matter, he added.

Teachers of Bangladesh's 38 public universities have been protesting the proposed  pay structure after  a secretary-level committee in May submitted a review report on the pay commission's proposal.

The teachers rejected the proposed structure, terming it "disgraceful and discriminatory" and said senior professors have been downgraded two tiers below senior secretaries.

Yesterday's delegation was of Association of Universities of Bangladesh, a platform of the public universities' vice-chancellors. Its president, Prof Mohammad Alauddin, submitted a memorandum.

"The government must take steps before the situation gets complicated," said Rajshahi University VC Muhammad Mizanuddin.

Khulna University VC Prof Dr Mohammad Fayek Uzzaman said the proposed payscale seemed to be an effort to demean teachers. If any turbulence is created at the universities due to the payscale, it will be difficult to control, he said.

Dhaka University VC AAMS Arefin Siddique said the problems should be solved through discussions.

"Earlier, the teachers of public universities met me with similar demands. I gave letters to the cabinet secretary, principal secretary, establishment secretary and secretary to the president, requesting them to consider the matter," said Nahid. "We hope it will be taken into consideration," he added.