BUET Alumni Back: Brutality Boycott and Justice Demand
Former students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have strongly condemned police attacks on engineering students during their recent protest and demanded swift legal action against those responsible. The human chain protest was attended by BUET Board of Trustees members, BUET Teachers’ Association members, senior engineers, architects, planners, and both former and current students.
Presiding over the event in front of the BUET Shaheed Minar at 4:00 PM, BUET Alumni President Professor Dr. Ainun Nishat stated, “In protest of the inhumane police attack on engineering students during their justified movement on 27 August, and demanding prompt justice, we gather today. The path of engineers cannot be blocked. What we are seeing is an attempt to compromise the profession by diluting standards. We cannot compromise on merit, skill, and knowledge. For the sake of the nation, the talented must be recognized. I fully support the demands for which the engineering youth are protesting.”
Engineering Students’ Association President Mir Tareq Ali said, “During a peaceful assembly, police brutally baton-charged students, firing sound grenades and using water cannons. This revealed a long-standing conspiracy to undermine merit in the engineering sector.”
Speakers at the human chain highlighted that during the peaceful protest on 27 August in Dhaka, numerous talented students were injured due to police violence. They demanded the rapid identification and prosecution of those responsible and called for a fair investigation to ensure exemplary punishment. The speakers also emphasized the need to provide medical care and security for the injured students.
Reaffirming their support for the students, Professor Dr. Ainun Nishat said, “The student movement is legitimate to safeguard the dignity and autonomy of the engineering profession. As alumni, we pledge to stand by them. To progress alongside advanced nations, it is essential that the country’s talented engineers receive proper recognition and respect.”
Background: The engineering rights movement began on Tuesday, with students initiating a three-point demand demonstration at Shahbagh in Dhaka. The situation escalated on Wednesday when students blocked the Shahbagh intersection. Police intervention prevented the students from proceeding toward the Chief Adviser’s residence near the InterContinental Hotel, using sound grenades, tear gas, water cannons, and baton charges, leaving many students injured.
