Duet Demands: Distinct Designations for Engineers
In light of the ongoing protests by both BSc engineers and diploma engineering students, the students of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) have emphasized that merging the issues of BSc and diploma engineers is irrelevant. They argue that there are clear educational, professional, and structural differences between BSc engineers and diploma engineers. For this reason, DUET students have demanded that no one use the title "Engineer" before their names without membership in the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
At a press conference held on Thursday (April 24) on the DUET campus with the presence of over a hundred students, Md. Shahjalal, a fourth-year student, presented four key demands on behalf of the students amid the ongoing BSc vs. Diploma engineer debate.
The demands are:
The number of assistant engineer positions at the ninth grade must be increased, and promotion opportunities must be ensured based on merit and qualifications.
No one should be allowed to use the title “Engineer” without being a member of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB).
Discrimination between the engineering cadre and the general cadre must be eliminated, and interference by non-technical personnel at the project level must be stopped.
A structured salary framework must be established for BSc engineers in the private sector.
The DUET students stated, "We believe that some of the diploma students' demands are logical. Therefore, we urge the concerned ministry to take steps to implement those demands. We want the engineering sector of the country to prosper and for Bangladesh to earn a proud place on the global stage."
Present at the press conference were Tasnim Alam (final year, Materials and Metallurgical Engineering), Md. Obaidur Rahman (final year, Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Minhaz Hossain (final year, Mechanical Engineering), Md. Raihan Rahel (third year, Civil Engineering), and Mahtab Hossain (third year, Civil Engineering).
