Staff Reporter :
Rejecting the interim government’s newly formed committee, protesting engineering students have announced a fresh five-point demand. They announced complete shutdown in all engineering universities across the country on Thursday.
Earlier, speaking at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon in front of the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka, the students declared that they will continue their protest until their demands are met. Later, they blocked the Shahbagh intersection, causing traffic congestion at Shahbagh and surrounding areas. Later at the night they withdrew the blockade vowing continuing their protest.
Following the clash between students and law enforcers, the Interim Government on Wednesday formed a committee to examine the professional demands of BSc degree holders and diploma engineers.
The eight-member committee headed by Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources; the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges; and the Ministry of Railways would provide recommendations on their justification, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
The eight-member committee headed by Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources; the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges; and the Ministry of Railways would provide recommendations on their justification, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
Other members include Adilur Rahman Khan, Adviser to the Ministry of Industries and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, Education Adviser; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Ministry of Water Resources; Engineer Mohammad Rezaul Islam, President of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh; Engineer Md. Kabir Hossain, President of the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh; and Professor Dr. Engineer Tanvir Manzur, Chairman of the Board of Accreditation for Engineering and Technical Education, Bangladesh.
The committee’s member secretary will be Kazi Muhammad Mozammel Haque, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration.
According to the gazette, the committee’s mandate is to assess the justification of the professional demands raised by BSc and diploma engineers and prepare recommendations with a report to be submitted to the government within one month.
The committee has been empowered to co-opt new members if necessary, while the Ministry of Public Administration will provide secretarial support.
Fouzul Kabir Khan while talking to the journalists at the Secretariat on Wednesday said their demands would be considered and a fair solution will be ensured. The power and energy adviser added that the committee would sit very soon.
“There are demands from both sides-BSc engineers have one set of demands, diploma engineers another. We will listen to everyone and make a fair solution,” he said.
“I am saying this so that they can see and understand that we are taking effective measures,” he added. He also said, “Our message to them is to return to their respective institutions. Since we will take decisions with their representatives, there is no need for them to protest on the streets or elsewhere.”
Another committee member, Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, said: “We will sit and resolve the issue as quickly as possible-maybe even tomorrow.”
The agitating students have placed three-point demand which include to enter the 9th-grade engineering post (Assistant Engineer or equivalent), all candidates must pass the recruitment examination and must have at least a BSc degree.
Promotion through quota will not be allowed, nor can equivalent posts be created under different names for promotion; the 10th-grade technical post (Sub-Assistant Engineer or equivalent) recruitment examination must be open to both diploma and BSc degree holders; and Legal action must be taken against those who use the title “Engineer” without holding a BSc degree in engineering.
The students said that although they have been raising these demands for the past six months, the government has not acted on them. The government, they claimed, has forced them to take to the streets.
The agitating students said that they would not return home until their demands are met.
Meanwhile, as part of the pre-announced “Long March to Dhaka” programme, clashes broke out between engineering students and police at Shahbagh while they were marching toward the Chief Adviser’s residence, Jamuna.
When the students tried to move forward by breaking through police barricades, the police dispersed them. At the same time, police fired several rounds of tear gas shells and sound grenades. As a result, 25-30 students and 7-8 police officers were injured.
The injured were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and several nearby hospitals. Protesters later took position under the metro rail station next to Hotel InterContinental.
Witnesses said that the incident took place around 1:45 pm on Wednesday in front of the InterContinental Hotel. During the chaos, chase and counter-chase took place between police and students while multiple sound grenades went off. Afterward, the students retreated from the spot.
Earlier, for the second consecutive day, they blockaded Shahbag intersection in the capital with their three-point demand.
The Shahbag area echoed with the students’ slogans which include, “No compromise, struggle, struggle, struggle” “Quota no, merit yes, merit, merit” “One voice for all, diploma technician” “We demand an end to illegal diploma quota” “Stop injustice in the name of quota” “Break the quota system, restore the rights of the meritorious”.
Due to the presence of several thousand protesters, heavy traffic congestion developed in and around Shahbag, causing severe suffering to city residents.
BUET students Didarul, Afif, Raihan, and MIST student Iftekhar Hossain told the media: “We were peacefully holding our sit-in program after the long march. Around 1:30 p.m., the police suddenly fired tear gas shells and sound grenades to disperse us. Many of our brothers were injured and are now hospitalized. We demand justice for this.”
President of the Engineers’ Rights Movement, Waliullah said, “We have been protesting for six months to realize our three-point demand. We sent letters to all relevant departments. They told us they would sit with us at the Secretariat for talks. We went there, but they did not speak to us.”
He said when we were peacefully continuing our sit-in at Shahbag and wanted to go to the Secretariat for dialogue, police unjustly baton-charged us and fired tear gas shells and sound grenades at our fellow engineering students and employed engineers.
“Many of our brothers are now hospitalized. We have no conflict with diploma holders. Our demand is clear-we want the reformation committee for engineers to be reconstituted. At this moment, we are staying beside Hotel InterContinental,” he added.
“Until the responsible DC of police apologizes, and the three advisers-Fouzul Kabir Khan, Rizwana Hasan, and Asif Nazrul-come here, talk to us, and apologize, we will continue our sit-in here,” Waliullah said.
Apart from BUET, students from other engineering universities such as SUST, MIST, AUST, RUET, KUET, CUET, BUTEX, AUST along with engineering faculties of public and private universities, joined the blockade to press home their demand.
