Diploma Dissent: Polytechnic Protesters Parade with Torches in Dhaka
In a dramatic display of protest, diploma students from polytechnic institutes across the country took to the streets of Dhaka on Thursday (April 17) night in a torch procession, denouncing the attack on Cumilla Polytechnic Institute and condemning the alleged deception at a recent meeting held at the Secretariat. Organized under the banner of Karigori Chhatra Andolon, Bangladesh (Technical Students' Movement, Bangladesh), the protest began around 7:45 PM near Dhaka Polytechnic Institute in Tejgaon.
Students from several polytechnic institutes, including Dhaka Polytechnic, participated in the march, with female students leading the procession. The rally started at the institute's main gate, paraded through various roads in Tejgaon, and concluded back on campus.
Throughout the procession, students chanted slogans such as: "Tumi ke, ami ke – Diploma Engineer", "Why the attack in Cumilla? Administration, we demand answers", "No more meetings in AC rooms", "Let the weapons of ’71 roar again", "Let the weapons of ’24 roar again", "Light the fire, ignite the flame", and "What is the reason for the dramatic meeting?"
At the conclusion of the rally, during a brief assembly, Karigori Chhatra Andolon representative Nishan Rahman stated, “A drama was staged with us at the Secretariat today. Collaborators of dictatorship are still sitting there. We want to warn them—make a decision by tonight: either resign or accept our demands. If not, we will launch a non-cooperation movement starting tomorrow.”
He further announced that their next course of action would be shared via the organization’s official Facebook page by 10 PM. The students also threatened a countrywide non-cooperation movement if their issues were not resolved by the end of the night.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of students met with the Additional Secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division at the Ministry of Education for a three-hour-long meeting. Upon exiting around 3 PM, the student representatives expressed dissatisfaction with the outcome.
“We were deceived,” they said. “We were called to meet with the Education Adviser, but instead an Additional Secretary held the meeting. He said he would note down our demands, present them to the Secretary, and then to the Adviser. But we came to meet the Adviser directly. This is a betrayal.”
As part of their six-point demand, the students had previously announced a nationwide railway blockade for Thursday. However, they temporarily suspended the plan following the call for the Secretariat meeting.
On Wednesday (April 16), students had blocked the Satrasta intersection in Tejgaon throughout the day, and similar protests were held in front of polytechnic campuses across the country. Speaking at one of the demonstrations, Karigori Chhatra Andolon’s central representative Masfiq Islam said, “The Ministry of Education asked for time until Sunday. But we did not agree to that. We will announce our next program shortly.”
