Public university teachers extend cease-work suspension till Feb 23

Public university teachers have decided not to resume their ‘cease work’ agitation until Feb 23.

AHM Maksud Kamal, secretary general of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA), announced the decision on Thursday after a meeting of the body representing teachers of 37 public universities.

The teachers, complaining of disparity in the new government pay scale, have been agitating since September last year and stopped taking classes in January.

They returned to classes on Jan 20 following a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“We had suspended our programme till Feb 3. In today’s meeting, we have decided to extend it until Feb 23,” Kamal told the press at the Dhaka University on Thursday.

The association will meet again that day if its demands are not met by then.

He said the association would be happy if an acceptable formula were found. “If the solution is an honourable one, we will thank the government ... Or else, we will announce our next programmes.”

Kamal said the FBUTA had held talks with four senior government officials and had one round of discussions with the University Grants Commission.

“We think we are moving towards an honourable solution. But a lot depends on the mindset of the bureaucrats.”

The prime minister was aware of the developments, Kamal added.

FBUTA President Farid Uddin Ahmed spoke on similar lines. “We hope to reach a solution soon.”

The agitation had been suspended, but the movement was still on, he claimed. “We were in the midst of a movement and we still are.”