Students of polytechnic institutes on Wednesday blocked a road at Sat Rasta in Tejgaon, Dhaka, voicing their six-point charter of demands, resulting in traffic congestion.
Dhaka Polytechnic Institute students marched to the Sat Rasta intersection and began their protest around 10:30am, reports by Bangla Tribune.
As a result, severe traffic congestion developed in Tejgaon, the industrial area, and the surrounding roads, eventually spreading to Mohakhali.
Students from various polytechnic and monotechnic institutes under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board participated in the blockade under the banner of the “Technical Student Movement.”
Protesters said they had previously raised the same demands multiple times, but no one had paid attention.
This time, they declared that they would not leave the streets until their demands were met.
Tejgaon Industrial Area police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Gazi Shamimur Rahman said: “Due to the blockade by over 1,000 students at Sat Rasta, school and college students and office-goers are facing immense suffering.”
During the protest, students held placards and chanted various slogans, the official said.
Calling for the acceptance of their demands, the protestors said the authorities must come to them and that they will not go to the Secretariat.
Their demands are:
- Cancellation of the High Court ruling that illegally promoted craft instructors to the position of junior instructor, amendment of the controversial recruitment policy, and dismissal of those responsible.
- Setting an age limit for admission into the Diploma-in-Engineering course, introducing an updated curriculum, and gradually implementing English as the medium of instruction.
- Halting the appointment of candidates to reserved posts that undermine the value of diploma engineers.
- Halting the recruitment of non-technical personnel in the technical sector and ensuring the recruitment of technically educated individuals.
- Formation of an independent “Ministry of Technical and Higher Education” and a “Technical Education Reform Commission.”
- Establishing high-quality technical universities for graduates of polytechnic and monotechnic institutes, and initiating admission processes under Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (Duet) at the under-construction engineering colleges.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tejgaon Traffic Division Rafiqul Islam said: “The road situation is dire; all surrounding routes are blocked. Things will return to normal once the students leave.”
DMP Tejgaon Division DC Ibn Mizan said: “We proposed that the students go to the Secretariat to submit their demands, but they refused. We are trying to normalize the situation.”
