Polytechnic students sit for discussions, rail blockade temporarily ‘paused’

A meeting with the Ministry of Education was scheduled following the intervention of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and at the invitation of Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar

Polytechnic students pushing for a six-point list of demands are meeting with the Ministry of Education for talks.

The talks will be held at the ministry at 11am on Thursday. The previously announced rail blockade by the students will be paused at this time.

Ramzan Ali, a student at the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, said: “Future programmes will be announced based on the discussion.”

The Karigari Chhatra Andolan, or Technical Students’ Movement, said that the meeting was organised following the intervention of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and at the invitation of Education Advisor Prof Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar.

On Wednesday, the students had blocked roads in key areas of the capital including Tejgaon, Mohammadpur, and Mirpur, as part of their protest.

Their simultaneous occupation of busy roadways led to paralysing traffic congestion across Dhaka, bringing distress to commuters.

When it began to rain later in the day, some students were seen playing football on the roads, but they remained in place until evening, when the blockade was finally lifted.

The students of government and private polytechnic institutions said that evening they would block rail tracks across the country on Thursday to further their cause.

Their six-point list of demands are:

1. Cancellation of the High Court verdict promoting craft instructors to junior instructor posts, along with a change in the title of craft instructor, permanent dismissal of all involved in the case, and immediate annulment of the 2021 recruitment rules. Protesters also demanded a fair investigation and action against those responsible.

2. Continuation of the four-year Diploma Engineering course, and the formulation of a modern, standardised syllabus and curriculum.

3. Exclusive eligibility for the post of Deputy Assistant Engineer and equivalent (10th grade) for students who have completed a four-year Diploma in Engineering or Monotechnology (Surveying). Private diploma graduates should receive a minimum basic salary of Tk 16,000.

4. Enforcement of the Technical Education Reform Committee's report outlining the appointment of technically educated personnel in positions such as directors, deputy directors, principals, and others within the technical sector.

5. Revision of all controversial recruitment rules under the Directorate of Technical Education and publication of recruitment notices to fill vacant posts with technically educated teachers and lab assistants in polytechnic institutes and Technical School and Colleges (TSCs).

6. Publication of a gazette to establish a university for higher education of Diploma in Engineering and Monotechnology graduates, and reservation of 100 percent of seats for them in the proposed four engineering colleges in Naogaon, Thakurgaon, Narail, and Khagrachhari.