A meeting between protesting engineering students and the interim government ended on Wednesday night without a breakthrough, with both sides agreeing to sit again on Thursday, along with other stakeholders.
An 11-member student delegation met with Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, in charge of the Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, and Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan at Rail Bhaban around 7pm on Wednesday. The meeting, which lasted for about an hour, concluded without resolving the standoff.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Fouzul Kabir said five of the seven members of the committee formed earlier to address the issue were absent. “The full committee will sit again tomorrow,” he said, adding that the next round of discussions would include faculty representatives and professional engineers alongside the students.
He described the recent incidents involving police and students as “unfortunate” and said a police representative would apologize for the violence.
Student representatives, however, said they would state their position after further consultation with their peers.
The students have placed five demands. These include a public apology and accountability from Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury over what they termed the “brutal and disgraceful” attacks on students; reconstitution of the government committee with faculty and engineering stakeholders while rejecting the existing one as “unrepresentative”; immediate acceptance of their three-point demand through executive order; and guarantees from advisers Fouzul Kabir, Adilur Rahman, and Rizwana Hasan.
They also demanded that the government bear the medical costs of the injured, ensure student safety during the movement, and end police action against protests. In addition, they called for the arrest and dismissal of those responsible for the assault on student leader Rokon, and the removal of DC Masud for his alleged role in the attacks.
Earlier in the day, Shahbagh descended into a tense standoff as engineering students clashed with police for the second consecutive day while pressing home their three-point charter of demands. What began as part of their pre-announced “Long March to Dhaka” spiraled into volleys of tear gas, baton charges, and sound grenades, leaving six people injured—including five Buet students and a journalist.
The students, rallying under the banner of the Engineering Rights Movement, took position at Shahbagh intersection around 11am, effectively shutting down the central artery and adjoining streets. Their demands were clear and uncompromising: diploma engineers must not be allowed to prefix their names with “Engineer,” none should be promoted to Grade-9 positions in government service, and graduate engineers must be given entry into Grade-10 jobs.
From protest to confrontation
By 1:40pm, the marchers set off toward the chief adviser’s official residence at Jamuna. At Hotel InterContinental, police intercepted them, triggering fierce clashes. Officers charged with batons and fired multiple rounds of tear shells and sound grenades as students attempted to break through barricades. Several protesters and law enforcers sustained injuries.
Among the injured were Buet students Nabid, 21, Shahadat, 22, Navid, 21, Rizon, 23, and Hasan, 22, along with New Nation journalist Alam Sharif Shimul, 32. They were rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors later released them after treatment.
This new round of unrest came a day after students blockaded Shahbagh for five hours on Tuesday, protesting the harassment and death threat issued to Buet alumnus Engineer Rokonuzzaman Rokon at the Northern Electricity Supply Company (Nesco) office in Dhaka. Rokon, from Buet’s Electrical and Electronic Engineering 17th batch, had been summoned by Nesco’s executive engineer Golam Hossain—himself from a diploma background—where 20–25 staffers surrounded him, hurled abusive language, and threatened to slit his throat.
Roots of the movement
That incident galvanized Buet students and their peers across engineering universities. They announced the “Long March to Dhaka” and vowed to continue until their demands were addressed. At the core of their grievances lie systemic disparities in government service recruitment and professional recognition:
The existing 33% quota for diploma engineers in Grade-9 positions must be scrapped in favor of merit-based recruitment.
The 100% quota for diploma engineers in Grade-10 jobs must be abolished and opened to all.
The “Engineer” title must be reserved exclusively for those with a BSc degree, with legal action against unauthorized use.
In response to the escalating movement, the interim government yesterday issued a Cabinet Division circular forming an eight-member committee to review the competing claims of graduate and diploma engineers and submit recommendations.
Protest widens, new demands
The committee was initially rejected outright by the protesters. At a press conference in front of Hotel InterContinental in the afternoon, student leader Jubayer Ahmed declared five new demands, beginning with an apology from Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. “The adviser must come before us, apologize for the police attack, and take responsibility,” he said, adding that the absence of student representation in the government-formed committee rendered it unacceptable.
As word of the police action spread, students at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet) offered symbolic funeral prayers in solidarity with their Buet peers.