Protest over Prottoy scheme enters second day

The indefinite protest initiated by public university teachers and employees across the country, including those at Dhaka University, has now entered its second day.

Since morning, no classes and examinations have been held as part of the protest against the government's decision to mandate the Prottoy scheme of the Universal Pension System for them.

At Dhaka University, employees and officials have gathered in front of the administrative building to voice their opposition to their inclusion in the Prottoy scheme, a policy announced last March. Meanwhile, the teachers are protesting in front of the university's Fine Arts building. 

They have vowed to continue their protest until the Prottoy scheme is withdrawn.

Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) General Secretary Professor Zeenat Huda during a sit-in today (2 June) said, "This protest is not against the students. We are protesting here to secure their rights.

"35 public universities across the country are united in opposing this scheme. Our goal is to ensure the future of the students, not to hold them hostage. We have put forth a three-point demand until the Prottoy scheme is cancelled."

Former DUTA Vice President Lutfur Rahman said, "There are many examples of how we previously made up for pending classes during the time of severe session jams. We are here for our students, and their rights will not be compromised by this protest."

Citing the press release issued by the National Pension Authority (NPA), DUTA President Professor Nizamul Hoque Bhuiya said, "The press release said the retirement age for teachers is 65, however, previously Prottoy scheme didn't say that. More information and updates have been added to it since we started protesting."

"We never had any issue with the universal pension system. What we are bothered about is the discriminatory measures," he said.

In the NPA press release issued today, it was noted that university teachers will retire at 65 and receive a lifetime pension from that age, even though the Universal Pension Management Law states that pension benefits start from the age of 60. 

In addition to public universities, employees working in autonomous, state-owned, and other statutory organisations, along with their subordinates, will also fall under the pension scheme.

Meanwhile, for the second consecutive day today, teachers and staff at Barishal University observed a two-hour work abstention to demand the withdrawal of the gazette notification for the pension scheme known as 'Prottoy'.

The protest, led by the BU Teachers Association and BU Officers Association, began at 11am with a sit-in on the university's ground floor and continued until 1pm.

Mohammad Abdul Baten Chowdhury, president of the BU Teachers Association, emphasised their resolve, saying they will continue their program until their demands are met.

Bahauddin Golap, president of the BU Officers Association, appealed to the prime minister for intervention to resolve the issue.

On 13 March, the government introduced the Prottoy scheme for employees who join public universities and other organisations that fall under the scheme from 1 July 2024 onwards. However, those who joined these institutions before 1 July 2024 will continue to receive pension benefits as before.

What's in Prottoy scheme: 

• 10% of salaries or Tk5,000, whichever is less, will be deducted.
• No gratuity.
• Pensioner will receive payment til death. After death, nominee will get the money til they are 75.
• No yearly increment on the pension amount.
• No added money for earned leaves.
• Retirement age 60 years for everyone.
• Only those joining on 1 July or onwards must enrol in the new scheme.

How much will they get after retirement

Contributing just Tk2,500 per month from salaries for 30 years, an employee will receive a pension of Tk62,330 per month upon retirement. 

Employees can increase the subscription rate and pay it personally if they wish. 

Education takes backseat as teachers protest

The Dhaka University Teachers Association argues that the Prottoy scheme creates discrimination among teachers.

The benefits in this scheme are significantly less than those in the existing pension system, leading to a disparity between new and old university teachers, which could harm teachers' self-esteem. They warn that this disparity might deter talented individuals from entering the teaching profession, thereby deteriorating the quality of education, the association says.

During the budget announcement for FY25, the finance minister stated that government employees would also be brought under the universal pension system. Those appointed to government jobs from 1 July 2025 will be compulsorily included in the Sebak scheme, which will also cover teachers at government schools and colleges. The benefits of this new scheme have not yet been finalised.

University teachers have expressed a preference for inclusion in the Sebak scheme instead of the Prottoy scheme, believing that the Sebak scheme will offer more benefits.

They also point out that the Sebak scheme is being introduced for government employees one year after teachers are included in the Prottoy scheme. If the government wanted to avoid discrimination between the two schemes, it could have included teachers in the Sebak scheme as well.

Dr Md Nizamul Hoque, president of the Dhaka University Teachers Association, told TBS that under the existing pension scheme, teachers do not need to contribute any money from their monthly salary to receive pension benefits. However, upon the launch of the Prottoy scheme, 10% of the basic salary or a maximum of Tk5,000 must be deposited.

He said, "Currently, retiring teachers receive a lump sum of Tk80 lakh-Tk81 lakh, which will not be available if they opt for the Prottoy scheme."

He further said, "Under the existing pension system, if a pensioner passes away, their spouse and children receive a lifetime pension, unlike the Prottoy scheme where no such provision exists. If a pensioner dies at the age of 75, their family will not receive any benefits. The existing pension system offers many facilities that are not available under the Prottoy scheme."

Regarding the logic behind suspending classes and exams to address their demands, he stated, "The Prottoy scheme undermines the self-esteem of university teachers. Without self-esteem, how can we effectively teach in the classroom?"

He added, "The government did not engage in any discussions with teachers before implementing this scheme. We have suspended classes to uphold our dignity. Once our concerns are addressed, we can make up for lost time with additional classes and exams."

The Dhaka University Teachers Association gave an ultimatum to the government till 30 June demanding cancellation of the Prottoy scheme.