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Published : 08 Sep 2015, 06:25 PM
“The most educated section of the country is demonstrating due to the lack of knowledge,” he told reporters in Dhaka on Tuesday.
Teachers of 37 public universities abstained from work on Tuesday, took out processions on the campus and held rallies to press a four-point charter of demand.
Muhith refuted the allegation that the new pay scale was degrading for the teachers and brought allegations of corruption against them.
“They don’t know what the pay scale has for them,” the minister said.
Public university teachers have been observing work abstention since the Pay Commission proposed the eighth pay scale last December.
They say they have been discriminated against in the new pay scale although selection grade professors, secretaries and major generals were on the same grade in the seventh pay scale.
Muhith criticised the teachers’ movement, saying, “We have to control the corrupt practises of the teachers.”
Asked about the ‘corruption’, the minister said the public universities promoted teachers to professors and associate professors whenever they wish.
“...This system needs to be fixed,” he said.
Muhith dubbed the eighth national pay scale with a basic pay ranging between Tk 8,250 and Tk 78,000 ‘ground-breaking’.
“It is often said that government employees take bribes because their salaries are low... Now no one will be able to allege that salaries of government employees are low,” he said.
The minister also dismissed the notion that the new pay structure would cause inflation.
“Inflation is declining and it will continue to go down,” he said. “Market will grow. But hiking of prices has become a norm with the businessmen.
“They are only interested in increasing the profit margin. The profit margin in Bangladesh is higher than any other countries.”
He said there will be no new pay commission.
In future, an official would oversee the matter and submit yearly report to the Cabinet on whether any changes were needed, Muhith explained.
From now on, the government employees’ salaries would be increased between 3.5 and 5 percent every year, he added.
The finance minister hoped that the new pay rise will be reflected on the private sector as well.
