Public varsity teachers give Muhith 24 hrs to say \\\'sorry\\\'

Bangladesh's public university teachers have asked Finance Minister AMA Muhith to offer public apology for his ‘incoherent’ comment about their demonstration to press for a separate pay scale. The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA) warns the minister that he will be responsible for further consequences if he does not apologise within the ‘next 24 hours’. Wednesday’s warning came a day after Muhith commented on the teachers’ abstention from work to push their demands, including abolishment of the selection grade in the new pay scale. University teachers have been demonstrating since last December after the Pay Commission proposed the eighth pay scale. The Cabinet on Monday approved the Eighth National Pay Scale with a basic pay ranging between Tk8,250 and Tk78,000. Public universities’ selection grade professors enjoyed the top grade along with secretaries and major generals in the Seventh National Pay Scale. Senior professors were included in grade-2 and professors in grade-3. However, the eighth pay scale does not separately mention the status of selection grade professors. Muhith on Monday said the country’s most educated section was demonstrating for the “lack of knowledge” and that their work abstention had “no justification”.
“They don’t know what the pay scale has for them,” he said. He went on alleging the universities promoted its teachers whenever it wished and dubbed it a “corrupt practice”.
The teachers’ federation in a statement the same night dubbed his comments ‘rude’ and ‘uncalled for’, according to bdnews24.com.
- biplab