Our teachers deserve better

The Universal Pension Scheme, with its noble goal of providing every citizen with life-saving post-retirement pension allowances, is a commendable government initiative. However, the recent implementation of the Prottoy Scheme-a programme for employees of state-owned, autonomous, and equivalent institutions, including our esteemed university teachers-is a cause for concern. This scheme, which offers fewer benefits than the already existing one, will deter talented individuals from joining universities. This will further worsen the teaching standards and academic prosperity in the country.

If Bangladesh is to become a "Sonar Bangla," as dreamt by the father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, academic prosperity is essential, as it will drive cutting-edge research and innovation.

Academic prosperity cannot be achieved without giving due recognition and benefits to teachers. Moreover, we, the students, who have already suffered academic setbacks due to COVID-19, do not want further disruptions. Therefore, the government should promptly announce the cancellation of the Prottoy Scheme and accept the rational demands of our teachers.

Hiron Khandaker

Undergraduate Student

Department of Geography and Environment

University of Dhaka

[email protected]