Misunderstanding resolved, teachers’ pension scheme to be launched next year: Obaidul Quader

The ‘Prottoy’ scheme under the universal pension coverage for the teachers at public universities will be introduced next year, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader said.

There was a misunderstanding over the matter, he said adding, that everyone from government and autonomous organisations will come under the coverage of the universal pension scheme from 1 July 2025.

Teachers at public universities were to join the pension scheme from 1 July 2024, but this was incorrect. It is also one of three demands, and it has been made sure that teachers will also join the pension scheme from 1 July 2025 like everyone else.

Obaidul Quader made the remarks while speaking to the journalists after holding a meeting with teachers of public universities at Awami League’s president Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office in the capital on Saturday.

He said a 13-member delegation including the president and general secretary Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association (FBUTA) joined the meeting. They had a detailed discussion and the problem will be resolved soon, Obaidul Quader added.

Saying that the issues of super grade and scale for teachers will be discussed and teachers’ demands will be raised to the prime minister, Obaidul Quader added the teachers have been requested to withdraw their work absenteeism programme and they will take an organismal decision after talking to the federation leaders.

However, all demands of the teachers cannot be fulfilled at once, the government also has its logic and if their demands are rational then those will be considered, he said.

After the meeting, FBUTA general secretary and Dhaka University Teachers Association president Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan said the meeting was satisfactory and a decision on work absenteeism will be revealed after holding discussions with all parties.