Students demonstrate on Dhaka Polytechnic campus to press demands

They resume their protests to press home a charter of six demands

Students have staged a protest march on the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute campus to press home their charter of six demands.

The protest began around 10:30am on Sunday as students marched across the campus before gathering at the Medha Shaheed Square, where they continued their demonstration.

"Our respected director general initially said that the six-point demands were logical, but later claimed that some were logical and some were not. That is why we are back on the streets. We have never backed down from our demands. To fix the current deplorable state of technical education, the demands must be accepted," said Md Rahel Rana Hawladar, a Dhaka Polytechnic Institute student.

Polytechnic students have long been demanding the fulfilment of their demands, and the movement intensified on Apr 16. After staging programmes for about a week, the Ministry of Education formed a committee to draft a roadmap for implementing the demands, leading the students to suspend their movement on Apr 22.

However, the next day, they withdrew that decision and announced the continuation of their protests.

The education ministry's Technical and Madrasa Education Division formed an eight-member committee led by an additional secretary to outline the implementation of the six demands. The committee also includes an advisor from the Karigori Chhatra Andolon (Technical Students Movement) -- the platform leading the protest.

The committee was instructed to submit a report to the secretary of the division within three weeks.

The six demands made by the protesting students 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.