Polytechnic institute students have called for a nationwide "railway blockade" program to press home their six-point demands.
The program was announced on Wednesday evening at a rally at Tejgaon Satrasta intersection in the capital by Jubaer Patwari, a representative of the Technical Student Movement, Bangladesh.
After nearly eight hours of blockade, the protesters left the roads.
Jubaer Patwari said that students had a meeting with Shoaib Ahmad Khan, director general of the Directorate of Technical Education, and Md Mostafizur Rahman, principal of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, among other relevant authorities.
However, as no written assurance was given regarding the acceptance of their demands, they have decided to continue their movement.
He said: "There was no written guarantee about implementing the demands during the meeting. Moreover, there has been no redress for the attack on the students of Comilla Polytechnic. Therefore, we are announcing a nationwide blockade of railways and roads on Thursday."
Earlier on Wednesday, from 10:30am, students of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute blocked roads at the Tejgaon Satrasta intersection and other industrial areas of the capital. As a result, vehicular movement in those areas came to a halt, causing severe suffering for commuters.
Female students from Women’s Polytechnic also participated in the protest.
The six-point demands of the protesting students are:
Cancellation of irregular recruitment and promotions of craft instructors: Cancel the 30% quota of craft instructors for the junior instructor position, implement the High Court’s verdict on illegal promotions, completely annul controversial recruitments, and dismiss those responsible.
Upgradation of the Diploma in Engineering program: Cancel age-based admission system, introduce a four-year international standard curriculum, and gradually initiate academic activities in English.
Ensuring the rights of diploma engineers: Legal action must be taken against institutions that are recruiting for lower-grade positions despite the existence of reserved quotas.
Ban on recruitment of unskilled personnel in the technical sector: From director to principal level, appointments must be made from individuals educated in technical disciplines, and ensure skilled personnel are recruited for all vacant positions.
Formation of a separate ministry and reform commission: A separate ministry titled ‘Technical and Higher Education’ and a ‘Technical Education Reform Commission’ must be established.
Expansion of higher education opportunities: Establish a full-fledged technical university and ensure admission of polytechnic graduates in the four under-construction engineering colleges.
It is to be noted that although the director general of the Directorate of Technical Education made some announcements, students have stated that mere words are not enough; implementation and written commitments are essential.