Buet condemns police attack on protesting engineering students

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) has strongly condemned the police attack on protesting engineering students in Dhaka today (27 August).

In a statement signed by Registrar (additional charge) NM Golam Zakaria today (27 August), the university expressed its protest against the incident.

According to the statement, students from Buet and other institutions have been demonstrating for several days, demanding protection of the rights of BSc (Engineering) graduates to secure positions as assistant engineers or equivalent, elimination of quota-related discrimination in the respective grade, and ensuring a fair and structured recruitment process.

In response to the protests, Buet vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor met the education adviser at the secretariat yesterday, urging swift action to address the students' demands, the university said.

Following this, an eight-member committee, headed by Adviser Fouzul Kabir Khan, was formed today to examine the legitimacy of the professional demands of both BSc degree holders and diploma engineers and to make recommendations, it added.

The statement further reads, "When students from Buet and other institutions attempted to march towards the chief adviser's residence at Jamuna today to press home their demands, police fired tear gas shells, sound grenades, and carried out baton charges. Many students were injured in the attack."

Condemning the police action, the Buet administration said, "Such attacks are unacceptable in place of resolving the issue peacefully. The university administration is extremely aggrieved and outraged by the police behaviour and strongly condemns the assault."

The Buet administration expressed hope that the government would launch a proper investigation and take prompt action against those responsible for the attack.

Buet Teachers Association also condemned the police attack on the protesting engineering students, according to a statement from the association.

Additionally, Buet Alumni condemned the attack.

At noon today, police fired tear gas and sound grenades, charged batons, and used water cannon to disperse students of engineering universities from the Minto Road, in front of the InterContinental Dhaka, as they marched towards the chief adviser's official residence, Jamuna to press home their three-point demands.

Later, rejecting the interim government's newly formed committee, protesting engineering students have announced a fresh five-point demand.

Speaking on behalf of the students at the press conference this afternoon, Jubayer Ahmed, a civil engineering student of (Buet), outlined their new demands.

The students said Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury must publicly apologise and take responsibility for today's "police attack" on members of the "Engineers' Rights Movement".

They urged the authorities to issue an executive order implementing their previously announced three-point demand.

In addition, the protesters demanded that the government bear the medical expenses of all injured students and ensure the safety of demonstrators.

They also called for the immediate arrest and dismissal of those responsible for the attack on Buet graduate engineer Roknuzzaman Rokon, and insisted on disciplinary action against the police officers allegedly involved in the assault.

The students further demanded the dismissal of DC Masud, accusing him of ordering the attack on protesters.

They said that unless their demands are fulfilled, they will not withdraw from their demonstrations.