Tech Students Take to the Streets with Six-Point Demand
Students from government and private polytechnic institutes, Technical Schools and Colleges (TSC), and institutions under the Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) blocked the busy Sat Rasta intersection in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Wednesday, demanding the fulfillment of their six-point charter. The demonstrators, united under the banner of Karigori Chhatra Andolon Bangladesh (Technical Students’ Movement Bangladesh), declared they would not leave the streets until their demands were met.
Chanting slogans, the students urged immediate action and warned of stricter programs if authorities failed to respond promptly. Due to their demonstration, vehicular movement through the area was completely suspended.
The Gulshan Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police posted an update on their official Facebook page confirming the roadblock and suggesting alternative routes. According to the post, students had disrupted both inbound and outbound traffic at the Sat Rasta intersection, severely affecting routes from Uttara to Banani and Mohakhali. However, traffic from Mohakhali to Banani and Uttara remained operational. Commuters traveling toward Tejgaon were advised to take a detour via Gulshan-1, Police Plaza, and the Shanta Diversion, while the same route was suggested for those heading from Gulshan-1 to Amtali.
The protest began around 10:00 AM. By 12:30 PM, speaking to the media at the scene, Dhaka Polytechnic Institute representative Mashfik Islam said, “We will not vacate the streets until our demands are fulfilled. Our six-point charter must be met today. Representatives from the Ministry or Directorate must come here and address our demands.”
Md. Mizdahul Islam Rifat, another student from Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, stated that an additional demand had been added to their original list. “Our latest demand is the cancellation of the decision to promote lab assistants from the 16th to the 10th grade. We do not want anyone to join as peons and later serve as our teachers,” he said. “Many of our teachers have also expressed solidarity with our rightful movement. The protest will continue until our demands are met.”
The six-point demands of the students include:
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Nullification of the High Court verdict allowing illegal promotions of craft instructors to junior instructor posts. They demand title changes for craft instructors, the dismissal of those involved in the lawsuit, complete cancellation of the 2021 night-time appointments, and immediate revision of the controversial recruitment policy.
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Cancellation of open-age admissions in the Diploma in Engineering course and establishment of a four-year curriculum modeled after developed countries. They also demand academic activities to gradually transition to English as the medium of instruction.
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Enforcement of the existing reservation of the post of Sub-Assistant Engineer (10th grade) for Diploma in Engineering and Monotechnology (Surveying) graduates. Legal action must be taken against government, state-owned, autonomous, and semi-autonomous institutions that do not adhere to this rule and offer lower-ranked jobs to diploma engineers.
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A complete ban on appointing non-technical personnel to key administrative positions in the technical education sector, including directors, assistant directors, board chairmen, deputy secretaries, exam controllers, and principals. The students demand the immediate appointment of technically educated personnel to these posts and recruitment of skilled teachers and lab assistants for all vacant positions.
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Formation of a separate Ministry of Technical and Higher Education and establishment of a Technical Education Reform Commission to eliminate discrimination and enhance skilled human resource development.
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Establishment of a high-quality technical university to offer higher education opportunities for graduates of polytechnic and monotechnic institutions. Additionally, they demand the four under-construction engineering colleges in Narail, Natore, Khagrachari, and Thakurgaon provide temporary campuses and academic programs under DUET to allow 100% enrollment from the next session.
The students remain steadfast in their position, asserting that they will not back down until their voices are heard and their demands fulfilled.
