Polytechnic protests: Committee formed to make roadmap for 6-point demand implementation
As per the ministry notice, the committee shall prepare an outline for the implementation of the demands raised by the students within the next three weeks and submit a report to the secretary of the Technical and Madrasa Education Division
The interim government has formed an eight-member committee to formulate a roadmap for the implementation of the six-point demand, including the revocation of a controversial 30% promotion quota allocated to craft instructors for the post of junior instructor, raised by the protesting polytechnic students.
The Technical and Madrasah Education Division issued a notice in this regard today (22 April).
The additional secretary (planning and development) of the division will head the committee as its convener, while a joint secretary (Technical Branch-1) of the division will serve as the member secretary, reads the notice without naming the officials.
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Named members of the committee includes, Prof Md Sabbir Mostafa Khan, general secretary of Engineers Institution, Bangladesh (EIB); Prof Kazi Sakhawat Hossain, member secretary of Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IUB); Syed Abdul Aziz, professor at ZNRF University of Management Sciences in Dhaka, Bangladesh; Mohammad Faisal Mufti, project director of "Establishment of 1 Engineering College in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur Divisions" project; and Md Rahmat Ul Alam, chief executive advisor, Technical Students Movement, Bangladesh (Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, Session: 2015-16).
A director of the Directorate of Technical Education will also be in the committee.
As per the ministry notice, the committee shall prepare an outline for the implementation of the demands raised by the students within the next three weeks and submit a report to the secretary of the Technical and Madrasa Education Division.
The latest development comes following days of countrywide protests by polytechnic students. The protesters finally postponed their protest yesterday following an assurance from the government.
Students claim that diploma engineers — the primary qualified candidates for junior instructor roles — are being sidelined in favour of craft instructors, many of whom lack formal technical education and hold only Class Eight, SSC, or HSC qualifications. They argue this dilutes the quality of education and disrespects years of technical training.
Their other demands include requiring diploma degrees for all junior instructor positions, hiring technically educated individuals in all relevant posts, and establishing engineering universities in every divisional city to serve polytechnic graduates. They also want diploma engineers to be eligible for primary school teaching positions, implementation of a minimum salary scale in the private sector, and the complete removal of the 30% quota for craft instructors.
