Engineering students marching towards the Police Headquarters to demand justice for police attacks and press three key demands were stopped by law enforcement at the Matsya Bhaban intersection in Dhaka.
The students staged a sit-in there, chanted slogans, and blocked the road.
The procession began around 5:30 pm on Thursday (28 August) from the Central Shaheed Minar. By 6:15 pm, as they reached Matsya Bhaban, police obstructed their path. In response, the students occupied the roundabout and began protesting, halting traffic in the area.
Rifat Hossain, a student of the Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology (Buet), said: “We were marching peacefully towards the Police Headquarters, but our path was blocked. We will continue our movement until justice is delivered for the attack on our fellow students.”
Another student, Sharmin Akter, added, “We do not seek any chaos. We only demand a safe campus, the rightful rights of students, and accountability for the police attack. Yet, by blocking our path, we are being further deprived.”
Students burn effigy of DC Masud
During the protest, students burned an effigy of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissiner Masud Alam at the Matsya Bhaban roundabout at 6:55 pm.
Earlier in the afternoon, the students had marched from the Buet campus, passing Shaheed Minar, TSC, Doel Chattar, the Education Building, Press Club, and High Court before reaching Matsya Bhaban for the blockade.
Previous protests and clashes
On Tuesday, students blocked Shahbagh for five hours. The following day, as part of the “Long March to Dhaka” program, they staged a sit-in at Shahbagh. Later, when they attempted to reach the Chief Adviser’s residence in Jamuna, clashes with the police ensued. The confrontations involved baton charges, tear gas, and sound grenades, injuring several students and police officers.
Students’ Key Demands
The students said the movement would continue until their demands were fully implemented. Their demands include:
- Entry into the Engineering Ninth Grade or Assistant Engineer or equivalent posts must be based on a recruitment exam open to all candidates with a minimum BSc degree. Promotions through quotas or creation of equivalent posts under other names will not be allowed.
- Recruitment for Technical Tenth Grade or Sub-Assistant Engineer or equivalent posts must be open to both Diploma and BSc holders.
- Legal action must be taken against individuals using the engineer title without a BSc degree in engineering. Non-accredited BSc engineering courses must be properly accredited by IEB-BTEB following the official process.
