Teachers, administration officers, and other employees of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), like many of their colleagues throughout the country, are demonstrating to demand the cancellation of the "Prottoy Scheme" under the government's Universal Pension Scheme. Simultaneously, students blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway on Wednesday, demanding quota reforms.

From 12:00 PM, protesters held sit-ins across the Agricultural Faculty corridors. The BAU Teachers' Association, led by Acting President Dr Mohammad Saidur Rahman, rejected the Finance Minister's statements on the "Prottoy Scheme." They vowed to continue the movement until a better pension scheme is introduced, reported UNB.

Earlier this year the government introduced a new scheme named "Prottoy" under the UPS for newly-recruited (from July 1, 2024) employees of autonomous, state-owned, statutory, and their subordinate bodies.

The BAU Officer Parishad also demanded the withdrawal of the "Prottoy Scheme" from autonomous institutions. Officer Parishad’s President Arif Jahangir called for a uniform policy and the resolution of officers' scale issues, rejecting any discrimination.

The 3rd Class Employees Parishad, 4th Class Employees' Association, and Karigori Karmachari Samity held a half-day work abstention and burned an effigy of the Finance Minister.

Md. Mosarrof Hossain, president of the 3rd Class Employees Parishad, announced a full-day work abstention for Thursday, with the university library and administrative buildings to remain closed. 

In another protest, students held a rally starting in front of the Mukto Moncho in front of the Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin Auditorium, demanding the cancellation of the quota system in government jobs.

They blocked the Dhaka-Mymensingh railway from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, saying that only quotas for the disabled and small ethnic groups are necessary.

The students remarked even after 53 years of independence, the quota system cannot exist like this. They also stated that the field of talent should be equal.

"If talented people are unemployed, the country will go backwards. Equality in recruitment to government jobs is a fundamental constitutional right of all. Now, the attempt to bring back the old quota system will disrupt the way to get this basic right."

Prof. Dr Azharul Islam, a proctor of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), said the students blocked the railway but now the situation is normal.

At least 34 people, including two babies were killed when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames in southern Benin near the border with Nigeria on Saturday.

According to Beninese Interior Minister Alassane Seidou, “a serious fire occurred in the town of Seme Podji. Another 20 people were seriously wounded in the incident.”

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening,” he added.

Nigeria is a main oil and gas producer where fuel smuggling is very common along its borders, particularly when the government maintains a subsidy to keep fuel prices low.

The majority of the victims were burnt and they could not be not be identified.

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