DU postpones exams at Arts Building, Curzon Hall from 1 July as teachers announce strike

The Dhaka University (DU) has postponed exams scheduled to be held at the Arts Building and the Curzon Hall examination centre from Monday (1 July) until further notice, citing "unavoidable reasons".

The move comes after the teachers of all public universities of the country, including the Dhaka University, are going on strike from tomorrow (1 July) for an indefinite period demanding the withdrawal of the new universal pension scheme 'Prottoy'.

In a notice today (30 June) to all candidates and those concerned, DU said, "The exams which were scheduled to be held at the Arts Building and the Curzon Hall examination centre from 1 July have been postponed due to unavoidable reasons until further notice. 

"The exams of affiliated and constituent colleges will be held as usual as per the existing schedule," said the letter signed by DU's Acting Controller of Examinations Dr Himadri Shekhar Chakraborty. 

The Bangladesh University Teachers Association Federation, a front of teachers' associations of public universities, made the announcement today (30 June) in a press conference at the main gate of Dhaka University's Arts Building.

Earlier on the day, the Dhaka University Teachers Association announced the suspension of classes and examinations of all departments of the university for an indefinite period with this demand.

The strike will be observed until the demands for the withdrawal of the inclusion of university teachers from discriminatory certification schemes, introduction of individual pay scales for teachers, and inclusion of university teachers in the promised supergrade are fulfilled, according to a press statement issued by the association today.

"As part of our all-out protest programmes, the teachers of Dhaka University will not be attending classes. If the teachers are not going to the classes, how will the classes take place," Dr Md Nizamul Hoque, president of the DU Teachers Association, told The Business Standard.

Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, also the secretary general of the University Teachers Association Federation, said if the 'Prottoy' scheme is implemented, the students currently studying and are interested in future careers, like teaching in universities, will also be affected. 

"Therefore, our movement is for protecting the interests of the future of the young generation and against the conspiracy to destroy the higher education system. 

"We still hope that the government will immediately accept this demand so that we can go back to classes. Until then, an all-out strike will be observed in all public universities across the country from 1 July until the demands of the teachers' association are met."

Earlier, the Ministry of Finance introduced "Prottoy" under its Universal Pension Scheme for autonomous, state-owned, statutory, and their subordinate bodies. Employees of these institutions, who will join on 1 July or onwards, have to enrol in the new scheme.

Teachers across the country have been calling for the withdrawal of the Prottoy scheme for newly recruited university employees terming it 'discriminatory' in recent days. 

They said it would create discrimination among the university teachers.  

In addition, the association also sought an immediate introduction of a "super grade" for the university teachers.

"The Prottoy scheme will create discrimination among the old and new employees. If it exists, it will negatively impact the co-workers," Zeenat Huda, general secretary of the Dhaka University Teachers' Association, said at the time. 

"The current teachers are satisfied with the existing pension scheme. It is not clear why this new scheme has been introduced," Zeenat added.