Diploma Defenders: New Central Committee Formed
A 501-member central committee of the Bangladesh Diploma Engineering Student-Teacher-Professional Struggle Council has been formed, appointing Professor Md. Akheruzzaman as convener and Professor Md. Imam Uddin as member secretary.
The committee was announced on the afternoon of August 9 through a press release signed by interim central committee convener Professor Md. Kabir Hossain of IDEB.
The council has been established to organize a nationwide unstoppable movement in response to ongoing conspiracies by BSc Engineering students and degree engineers against the diploma engineering curriculum and diploma engineers, as well as to address the long-standing professional issues faced by diploma engineers amid government delays in resolution.
The press release outlined the broader context, noting that “Through government notifications in 1978 and 1994, diploma engineers were granted 33% promotion from sub-assistant engineer to assistant engineer, recruitment to sub-assistant engineer and equivalent 10th-grade posts exclusively for diploma engineers, and recognition of the engineer designation.”
However, under the pretext of professional excellence and quality enhancement for engineers, the organizations of degree engineers including the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB) and engineering university students have raised unjustified three-point demands aiming to revoke the predetermined government notifications that secure diploma engineers’ rights. This has destabilized the entire engineering sector and technical education environment nationwide.
The press release further stated, “IDEB hopes that under the leadership of the newly formed central struggle council, diploma engineering students, teachers, and professionals across the country will build an unstoppable movement against any conspiracy and will strengthen the movement to protect diploma engineers’ rights at all costs.”
The leaders have appealed to diploma engineering students, teachers, and professionals at all levels nationwide to ensure the full success of the council’s struggle programs. Simultaneously, IDEB has urged its district branches to form district-level struggle councils composed of polytechnic students, teachers, and diploma engineers.
