A delegation of Polytechnic students met Education Ministry officials over their six-point demands but, dissatisfied with the outcome, announced plans to intensify their movement.
The students made the announcement around 3pm on Thursday, after a three-hour-long meeting with the additional secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division at the Ministry of Education.
The meeting took place at the Secretariat.
The student representatives said that they felt deceived, as they were promised a discussion with the education adviser, but instead were met by an additional secretary.
They were informed that their demands would be documented and conveyed to the secretary and subsequently to the adviser, although their initial expectation had been a direct dialogue with the adviser.
The student representatives also stated that while the movement has currently been eased, they will return to their respective institutions and announce further programs.
Earlier, the 18-member delegation from the student platform “Technical Chhatra Andolon, Bangladesh” arrived at the Secretariat at 11:30am and began the meeting at noon in the conference room of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division with Rehana Yasmin, additional secretary (Technical Wing).
As part of their six-point demand campaign, the students had earlier declared a countrywide railway blockade on Thursday, which they suspended in response to the ministry’s call for dialogue.
On the previous day, Wednesday, they had blocked the Satrasta intersection in Tejgaon for the entire day, as well as staged road blockades in front of polytechnic institutes across the country.
Students’ demanded six-point
Cancellation of the 30% promotion quota for craft instructors to the post of junior instructor.
The High Court verdict declaring such promotions illegal must be implemented.
Titles of craft instructors involved in the case must be changed and those implicated should be dismissed from service.
Appointments of craft instructors made in 2021 under questionable circumstances must be fully annulled and the controversial recruitment policy must be immediately revised.
Abolition of open-age admission in Diploma-in-Engineering courses.
A quality, four-year curriculum, aligned with international standards, must be introduced and academic activities should gradually shift to English as the medium of instruction.
Legal action against public, state-owned, autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions that recruit diploma engineers in positions lower than that of sub-assistant engineers (10th grade) even though posts are reserved for them.
Prohibit the appointment of non-technical personnel to all key administrative positions in the technical sector, including director, assistant director, board chairman, deputy secretary, controller of examinations and principals.
Instead, technical graduates should be lawfully appointed to these posts and vacancies for skilled teachers and lab assistants must be promptly advertised.
Establishment of a separate "Ministry of Technical and Higher Education" and formation of a "Technical Education Reform Commission".
Creation of a high-quality Technical University to ensure higher education opportunities for graduates of Polytechnic and Monotechnic Institutes.
Additionally, the four under-construction engineering colleges (in Narail, Natore, Khagrachhari and Thakurgaon) must provide temporary campuses and run academic activities under Duet, ensuring 100% seat allocation for students from Polytechnic and Monotechnic backgrounds starting from the upcoming session.
