BUET Students Stage Protest Demanding Equity in Engineering Employment

Students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) organized a protest rally on Saturday (April 19) at the Central Shaheed Minar premises, demanding an end to the ongoing unrest caused by diploma engineering students, the elimination of discrimination in the engineering sector, and the fair recognition of BSc engineers based on merit and qualifications in the job market.

During the demonstration, students read out a written statement condemning the recent series of disruptive protests across the country, led by diploma students. "We, the BSc engineers, strongly condemn and protest the nationwide rail and road blockades carried out under the guise of securing rights, which have caused severe public suffering, chaos, and a deterioration of law and order," the statement said.

The BUET students further referenced a recent incident at Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) where, according to them, a student of the Electrical Engineering Department was attacked without provocation by diploma students, motivated purely by vengeance. They described the attack as "highly reprehensible" and claimed that "most of the demands raised by the diploma students are inconsistent with reality and contradict the Constitution of Bangladesh."

Calling for a rational resolution through dialogue, they urged the diploma protesters to "refrain from making unconstitutional and reckless demands in the name of protest and instead work towards solutions that pave the way for educational and national development."

The students emphasized that discrimination in the public sector goes beyond BSc and diploma holders and affects graduates of various academic disciplines. "While 12th to 14th-grade government jobs require an honors or master’s degree, diploma holders are entering 10th-grade positions—higher than the honors level—with lower educational qualifications," they said. "From there, they are being promoted to 9th-grade posts under a 33–70% quota, which is a gross injustice to graduates of other disciplines as well."

“If diploma holders consider themselves eligible for the 10th-grade SAE (Sub-Assistant Engineer) position, let them compete alongside BSc degree holders through merit-based examinations,” the students added.

They also expressed frustration over what they termed the "monopolization of promotional pathways" by diploma engineers: "BSc engineers have long been deprived of their rightful positions due to 100% quota privileges and syndicate-driven promotions for diploma holders. From now on, we will not tolerate any form of discrimination. In the new Bangladesh, there will be no space for quota systems that create inequality—Dibo na, Dibo na, Dibo na!"

During the protest, the students presented three core demands:
First, recruitment to the 9th-grade Assistant Engineer position must be based on a competitive examination and limited to BSc degree holders.
Second, no promotional privileges should be allowed through quotas, nor should any equivalent position be created to enable indirect promotion.
Third, the 10th-grade Sub-Assistant Engineer or equivalent technical positions must be open to all, allowing both diploma and BSc holders to compete through examinations. Additionally, a law must be enacted to ensure that only those with a BSc in engineering may legally use the title 'Engineer'.

The BUET students’ rally underscores growing tensions in Bangladesh’s engineering sector, as calls for structural reform and merit-based employment gain momentum.