DHAKA: Education ministry secretary Sohrab Hossian assured the demonstrating teachers of government colleges to meet their demands of removal of discrimination in the 8th National Pay Scale.

He made the assurance in a meeting with leaders of BCS General Education Association at secretariat in city on Wednesday (January 27).

Earlier, thousands of teachers started a three-day work abstention from Tuesday (January 26) protesting the discrimination in the pay scale.

On the second day of their work abstention, the government called the teacher association leaders for a meeting to find out a solution of this issue.

Later, BCS General Education Association president Nasreen Begum and secretary general IK Selim Ullah Khandakar joined the 45-minute meeting.

After emerging from the meeting, Nasreen Begum told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that the education secretary has assured to meet the teachers’ demands.

The association, in its meeting, will take decision about the next courses of action regarding the demonstration, she added.

According to her, Prime Minister’s principal secretary has called for a meeting to talk to the association leaders on Thursday (28 January).

BCS General Education Association secretary general IK Selim Ullah Khandakar told banglanews, there are 15 thousand education cadres in 270 government colleges, three aliya madrasas, 14 TT colleges and 16 commercial colleges.

All the teachers from government colleges are on the three-day strike. 

Earlier on Tuesday, the association warned that the teachers will again go for a weeklong work abstention from February 6-11, if their demands are not met within February 5.

Later, once again, teachers would go for work abstention from February 13 to 18, if their demands are not met then.

Teachers association further said they would continue their movement from February 23, if the government does not meet their demands by February 18.

However, the teachers are demanding not only to sort out the discrimination in the selection grade of the 8th Pay scale, but also to upgrade the ranks and create the ‘supernumerary post’ for professors to dissolve the discrimination.

** Govt college teachers on 3-day work abstention

BDST: 1423 HRS, JAN 27, 2016
AIK/RS/RR