Students from public and private polytechnic institutes in Dhaka staged a symbolic protest march on Friday, tying white cloths—traditionally used as burial shrouds—around their heads to highlight the urgency of their demands and vowed to continue holding protests.
The demonstration began around 2:15pm at the Latif Hall gate of Tejgaon Polytechnic Institute.
Marchers paraded through Sat Rasta and the surrounding main roads before concluding at the institute's south gate.
During the protest, students were seen chanting slogans while holding banners and festoons.
“We are fighting for our lives and future,” said Abdullah Al Mamun, one of the protesters. “Authorities keep making empty promises, but nothing has changed. Today we marched with symbolic shrouds. If needed, we are prepared to give our lives, but we will not give up our rights.”
Another protester, Shammi Akter, said: “We demand fair recognition in the job market. Diploma engineers will no longer accept this ongoing neglect. If the government fails to respond, we will escalate our movement.”
The students had previously announced a nationwide rail blockade on Thursday, but suspended the plan after being invited to a meeting at the Secretariat.
Their six-point demand includes the introduction of a separate cadre service for diploma engineers, raising the maximum age limit for government jobs to 35 for diploma holders, ensuring fair evaluation of diploma graduates for primary, secondary, and other public service roles, improving infrastructure and budget allocations for technical education, standardising education quality at both public and private polytechnic institutes, and repealing discriminatory policies against diploma engineers in employment.
Earlier, on Wednesday, students blocked traffic at Tejgaon’s Sat Rasta intersection for the entire day, while students from other polytechnic institutes across the country also staged demonstrations by blocking roads in front of their campuses.
Students said they would launch tougher programs if their demands are not met.
