A university professor currently receives Tk 45,000 as a pension after retirement without contributing any money.
Under the new Universal Pension Scheme, a professor will receive Tk 1,24,000 after retirement if the scheme tenure exceeds 30 years, with half of the amount coming from the teacher's savings and half from government funds.
This means the government will provide Tk 62,000 after the professor's retirement. If the professor invests 10 per cent of their monthly salary in the savings scheme, they will receive Tk 67,000 per month after retirement.
The professor's previous Tk 45,000 pension combined with the Tk 67,000 from savings equals the Universal Pension Scheme amount.
However, the professor will be deprived of a 5 per cent annual increment in the pension amount.
Currently, a professor will receive Tk 80 lakh as a lump sum upon retirement in addition to the pension. Under the Universal Pension Scheme, they will not receive this lump sum.
These findings are from a Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) report. DUTA leaders have branded the Universal Pension Scheme for university teachers as illogical.
They argue that the system is discriminatory and violates basic rights.
“Meritorious graduates will be discouraged from entering the teaching profession, and teachers will lose interest in research if 10 per cent of their salary is cut,” they said.
“We see the initiative as a conspiracy against public university teachers. Government college teachers, members of the civil and military administrations, and the judiciary are excluded from this scheme. The Universal Pension Scheme is better suited for lower-income people. We reject the new pension scheme for university teachers,” they added.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA) has outright rejected the government’s decision to include public university teachers in the Universal Pension Scheme.
FBUTA President Professor Dr Md Akhtarul Islam and Secretary General Professor Dr Md Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan said at a press conference that the new system is disappointing and unsatisfactory.
“The teachers will face discrimination, and this initiative is part of a misunderstanding between the government and public university teachers. We urge the government to withdraw the gazette,” they said.
Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET) and Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) have been protesting for several days to cancel the gazette on the Universal Pension Scheme.
The CUET Officers’ Association has also threatened to stop all services if the gazette is not cancelled.
The CUET Teachers’ Association has vowed to continue their movement until their demands are met.
President of the CUET Officers’ Association, Professor Dr GM Sadiqul Islam, said, “The Universal Pension Scheme is harmful to teachers. It will hamper academic activities, and teachers will lose interest in research and other promotional activities.”
Md Parvez Hasan, joint secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the Education Ministry, who deals with public universities, told The Business Post that he is not aware of the matter.
“Our ministry did not discuss this with the teachers,” he added.
FBUTA announces programmes
The FBUTA leaders reiterated their demand for the cancellation of the Universal Pension Scheme gazette for public university teachers at a press conference on Monday.
They asked the government to cancel it by May 25, otherwise, the FBUTA will hold human chains at every university campus at 11:30am.
Public university teachers will observe a two-hour work abstention (12 pm-2 pm) on May 28. They will observe another half-day work abstention on June 4 if their demands are not met.
After June 4, the teachers will launch a massive movement to meet their demands.
DU holds signature campaign
The government issued a gazette making the Universal Pension Scheme mandatory for public university teachers on March 13.
The DUTA leaders rejected the gazette at an association meeting on March 19 and demanded its cancellation.
They waited until April 29 for the government’s response but received no positive outcome.
The DUTA then started a signature campaign among teachers from April 30. By May 7, 1061 teachers had signed the petition demanding the cancellation of the pension scheme.
Pension scheme not mandatory for school teachers
The Upazila Nirbahi Officer’s offices asked MPO (Monthly Payment Order) listed institutions to begin the teachers’ pension scheme.
The letter faced much criticism, and the education ministry stated that it was not their decision.
On May 20, Executive Chairman of the National Pension Authority Kabirul Ezdani Khan ordered the withdrawal of the letter and confirmed that the pension scheme is not mandatory for school teachers.
