Engineering Students Erupt: Demands, Demonstrations, and Justice
Engineering students have staged protests demanding justice for police assaults along with two other conditions. The demonstration, organized under the banner of Prokousholi Odhikar Andolon (Engineers’ Rights Movement), began at Dhaka University’s Doel Chattar on Monday, September 7. Students from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and other universities across the capital joined the program.
During the post-protest address, BUET student Fardin said, “Sajid Nasif, a student of Chemical Engineering from BUET’s 30th batch, is still fighting for his life at Dhaka Medical. He is not yet out of danger. Splinters pierced his intestinal tract, creating five holes, and he remains at risk of infection. Although a three-member investigation committee was formed on August 28 with instructions to submit a report within three days, no report has yet been produced. They have not even spoken to us. There has been no justice for the brutal police attack.”
Mehedi Hasan Piyas, a student of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Dhaka University, outlined their three-point demands: “Recruitment for the post of Assistant Engineer in the ninth grade must be conducted through examinations, with the minimum qualification set at a BSc in Engineering; the diploma quota in the tenth grade must be abolished and made open for all; and no one without a BSc degree should be allowed to use the title ‘Engineer.’ On August 27, when we raised these demands and reforms, we were subjected to police assault. The failure to publish a roadmap for the investigation is disappointing to us. That is why we are back on the streets today to press our demands.”
Earlier, Abrar Faiyaz, the younger brother of slain BUET student Abrar Fahad, who was killed in a Bangladesh Chhatra League torture incident, also drew attention to the matter in a post from his verified social media page.
It may be recalled that on August 27, during the engineering students’ pre-declared “Long March to Dhaka” program, clashes broke out with police as students moved from Shahbagh towards the Chief Adviser’s residence, Jamuna. When the students tried to push through police barricades, they were dispersed. Police fired several rounds of tear gas and sound grenades, leaving many injured.
