Dhaka: ‘We don't want to be secretaries. Why would we want to be secretaries? It's we who make secretaries. A student can be a bureaucrat by obtaining a BA or with a third class, but to be a university teacher, he must have top academic results,’ said Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, president of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teacher's Association, a platform for all 37 public universities.

He came up with the remark while addressing reporters at Arts Building premises in Dhaka University on Tuesday during the university teachers’ sit-in programme.  

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday at a rally told public university teachers, ‘If you want status equal to secretaries, just resign and become a secretary by taking PSC examinations. Then there will be no problem.’

She urged the agitating teachers not to compare themselves with others and wanted them to do their job with dignity.

Responding to the prime minister's remark, Farid Uddin Ahmed said more than half of the civil servants ‘are selected through the quota system.’

He also said, ‘They have taken position against university teachers as I think we couldn’t provide proper education to them (secretaries). We don’t want salary hike but honour.’  

‘We have been trying to sit with her (prime minister) for last eight months, but could not do so. If she sits with us for only five minutes, the problem will be solved,’ he added.  

Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA) enforced its indefinite work abstention at 37 public universities on Monday to press for several points of demand, including keeping the teachers’ selection grade and time scale in the 8th national pay scale.

The work abstention will continue till the government fulfills their demands.

No classes of regular courses will be held at the universities during the work abstention but they will continue other activities during the strike on their own decision.

The Dhaka University teachers have decided that they will not take classes. They will only hold final examinations during the strike.  

On 2 January, teachers of the public universities announced that they would go on an indefinite strike on 11 January to realise their various demands including keeping their selection grade and time scale in the 8th national pay scale.