Engineering students suspend ‘Complete Shutdown’ programme
The students have announced that they will continue other forms of protest, including divisional rallies, to press for the fulfilment of their demands
The Engineers' Rights Movement has suspended its 'Complete Shutdown' programme, citing an "overall assessment of the situation" after a government working group was formed to address their three-point demand.
However, the students have announced that they will continue other forms of protest, including divisional rallies, to press for the fulfilment of their demands.
Ali Ammar Muaz, joint convener of the movement's advisory committee and a student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Buet, confirmed the decision to The Business Standard this noon (1 September).
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"After discussions with student representatives from various universities, we withdrew the 'Complete Shutdown' programme last night [31 August]. But our other programmes of rallies in divisional cities will continue," he said.
Muaz added that a 14-member government working group has been formed to review their demands, and the committee has requested a month to complete its work.
"We have told them that we will observe the committee's work for the next 15 days. If we do not see any progress within this period, our programmes will become more stringent," he warned.
Notably, students at engineering universities in the country had been boycotting classes and examinations since 28 August as part of a "complete shutdown" programme announced by Engineers' Rights Movement General Secretary Sakibul Haque Lipu to press home three demands.
At the centre of the movement is the call to make entry tests mandatory for all candidates seeking recruitment in the ninth grade of engineering or for positions such as assistant engineer.
Eligibility, they insist, should be restricted to those holding at least a BSc degree in engineering. They also oppose promotions through quotas or by creating equivalent posts under different names.
Their second demand is to open recruitment examinations for the 10th grade of technical or equivalent posts, such as sub-assistant engineer, to both diploma and BSc degree holders.
The third demand seeks legal action against those using the title of "engineer" without a BSc degree in engineering.
