RU teachers, employees strike over institutional benefits, demand quota reinstatement

Teachers and employees of Rajshahi University today observed a strike, demanding reinstatement of quota for the dependents as an institutional benefits and warned of tougher movement if their demands are not met.

They blocked the main gate of the RU's administrative building around 10:00am and boycotted classes for two hours today.

Their demands also include elimination of all forms of discrimination, security for teachers, officers, and staff, and renovation of teachers' quarters, and full implementation of all institutional benefits.

Moktar Hossain, president of the university's officers association, said, "We have been deprived of our rights by force. Teachers and officers of all universities in Bangladesh are receiving institutional benefits, including quota for the dependents, but teachers, officers, and staff of Rajshahi University remain deprived. Today we will give the university administration a specific deadline, and if our demands are not met within that time, we will launch a tougher movement."

Prof Abdul Alim, president of the RU Nationalist Teachers' Forum, said, "Today we should have been in the classroom, but we are standing here to press for our demands. Institutional benefits are our rights. We are being deprived of that rights, and that is why today's movement has brought us together in the university."

Habibur Rahman, professor of the Department of Zoology, said, "While institutional benefits remain in place in all other universities in the country, they have been cancelled at Rajshahi University. It is high time now to reinstate these benefits. If necessary, we will boycott classes and examinations to restore our institutional benefits."

Around three hundred teachers, officers, and staff of the university were present during the protest.