Diploma Defenders Demand Decision on Engineering Dispute

The Technical Student Movement Bangladesh (TSMB) has warned of nationwide protests from Wednesday, September 24, if the government does not take an impartial decision regarding the “unjust three-point demands” of BSc engineering students, which they describe as “extremely harmful and conspiratorial” for the country’s engineering sector.

At a press conference held on September 16 at Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, the movement leaders said, “The main purpose of these three demands is to undermine the rights of diploma engineers, create division and conflict within the engineering sector, and tarnish the government’s image to destabilize the country.”

The diploma engineering students highlighted that the presidential gazette of 1978 and the prime ministerial government notification of 1994 clearly stipulate that the position of Sub-Assistant Engineer is exclusively recognized for diploma engineers, with the 10th grade reserved for them.

“This decision has been resolved multiple times at the state level. Yet, the Engineering Rights Movement repeatedly revives settled issues to create confusion. We urge Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies to investigate who is fueling these attempts,” the TSMB said.

The student movement further alleged, “The leaders of the Engineering Rights Movement continuously spread falsehoods, run misinformation campaigns, and attempt to blackmail the government by mobilizing mobs.”

TSMB called upon the government, stating, “The Sub-Assistant Engineer position is constitutionally reserved for diploma engineers. Any attempt to alter this through favoritism will be considered anti-state activity. No decision will be acceptable without an impartial and balanced committee. If the government yields to the falsehoods, terror, and blackmail of the Engineering Rights Movement, it will be a grave failure of the incumbent administration.”