The teachers-officers-employees of Dhaka University and other universities have been protesting to demand the cancellation of the certification scheme. In the meantime, news of deadlock is coming from somewhere. Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali has finally opened up about this.

He termed this movement and demand as unreasonable.

The Minister of Finance made this comment to reporters after a courtesy meeting with Yangming Yong, Vice President of South, Central and West Asia of Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the Ministry of Planning on Tuesday (July 2).

He said that the movement of university teachers demanding cancellation of universal pension guarantee scheme is unreasonable. I can’t find any rationale for the teachers’ agitation against the certification scheme.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the University Officers-Karmchari Oikya Parishad said that the discriminatory notification issued by the Finance Ministry, which has created anger among all categories of employees, will lead to a bad situation. The issue of such a discriminatory notification has caused extreme frustration and dissatisfaction among public university employees across the country, which can only be remedied through our rational demand and cancellation of the verification scheme. If this notification comes into effect, all the employees of the public universities of the country including Dhaka University will be subjected to extreme discrimination. A different policy for employees falling under the same pay scale is also contrary to the spirit of the Constitution. In the interest of this university we have to immediately accept our demand and cancel the verification scheme. Otherwise, the officers and employees of this university will be forced to develop a more severe movement.

Rabi Teachers Association President Professor Habibur Rahman said, today we are standing here not for us, but for the protection of our students. Thinking about those who will come in this profession in the future.

Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology Teachers’ Association (Acting) President Shahed Hasan Khan said, teachers are called artisans of making people. But the discriminatory pension notification issued by the government has discriminated against university teachers. If our demands are not met, we will go on a full-day strike.

Professor Akhtarul Islam, president of the Federation of Teachers’ Associations, announced that the movement will continue until the demands are met, saying, “We are not doing this movement for ourselves.” Rather, I am doing it for the next generation. We hear about so much corruption in the country. What did the teachers do? So why have their benefits been cancelled? This conviction scheme is discriminatory.