'Prottoy' to be effective from 1 July 2025: Govt announces amid teachers’ protest

The new universal pension scheme "Prottoy" will be effective from 1 July 2025, said a press release of the National Pension Authority on Sunday (14 July).

Employees of all public universities, and self-governed, autonomous, state-owned bodies and their subordinate institutions joining on 1 July 2025 thereafter as fresh employees would mandatorily come under the Universal Pension Scheme, it said.

Public university teachers, however, announced they will continue their movement, hoping that the government will fulfill their demand for their exclusion from the scheme. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched the Universal Pension Scheme on 17 August 2023 under the Universal Pension Management Act, 2023 in order to bring people from all strata under a sustainable pension system.

On Saturday, stating that there has been a misunderstanding over the date, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, "Under the universal pension scheme, all government and autonomous institutions will join from 1 July 2025. The information suggesting that public university teachers would join from 1 July 2024 is incorrect."

Quader, also the road transport and bridges minister, made the announcement following a meeting with the leaders of the public university teachers who have been protesting against their inclusion.

Following the meeting, Prof Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, general secretary of the Public University Teachers' Federation and president of the Dhaka University Teachers' Association, expressed his satisfaction with the discussion.

"We have had an open dialogue regarding our three-point demands. However, before issuing any media statements, I would like to confer with the Federation of Teachers' Associations," he said.

According to Prothom Alo, the Federation of University Teachers' Associations on Sunday held an online meeting and decided to continue their protests. 

Federation President Prof Akhtarul Islam, said, "Since our demands have not been met, our movement is ongoing and will continue. However, our written statement was accepted in yesterday's [ Saturday's] meeting and it was said that it would be presented to the Prime Minister. Therefore, we hope that our demands will be fulfilled."