Police use batons, teargas, sound grenades, water cannon as engineering students march to CA residence
The protesters are demanding the scrapping of quotas in 9th and 10th grade posts and restricting the “Engineer” title to BSc degree holders
Highlights
- Students demand recruitment exams be restricted to BSc holders
- They staged a five-hour blockade yesterday from 3pm to 8pm
- A "March to Dhaka" programme has also been declared
- Protesters oppose quota-based promotions and misuse of the "engineer" title
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, today (27 August) to press home their three-point demand.
Traffic is back to normal on the Kataban-Press Club route after most of the protesters left Shahbagh around 3:30pm. However, the road from Shahbagh to Bangla Motor is still blocked, according to our reporter on the scene.
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A group of student protesters is still gathered in front of the Hotel Intercontinental.
One of the students, Jihadul Haque from Buet, said the protesters' three demands should be met through an official notification, and that legal action should be taken against those who threatened to kill Engineer Rokonuzzaman Rokon.
Md Sabbir Ahmed, coordinator of the Engineers' Rights Movement, said the group is waiting to meet with three advisers (energy, law, and environment).
He also said some students were injured and hospitalised after police used batons and tear gas on them.
We are demanding a fair trial, he added.
Following a clash with police, the protesters, who earlier in the morning had blockaded the Shahbagh intersection for the second day, took position Minto Road, in front of the InterContinental Dhaka -- creating a tense situation.
During the chaos, chase and counter-chase took place between police and students while multiple sound grenades went off, according to witnesses.
Many of the students also left Minto Road and were seen moving back towards Shahbagh at around 2pm following the police action.
At around 2:20pm, police were seen chasing a large group of protesters from the InterContinental intersection towards Paribagh intersection.
Earlier, as part of their pre-announced "March to Dhaka" programme, the engineering students began occupying the main road at Shahbagh around 11am. The blockade brought traffic to a halt in and around the busy intersection.
Their demands include making entry tests mandatory for all candidates seeking recruitment in the ninth grade of engineering or for posts such as assistant engineer, with eligibility restricted to those holding at least a BSc degree.
Earlier in the morning, leaders of the "Engineers' Rights Movement" had said that they will begin a march towards the Secretariat if their demands were not met by 1pm. However, after the deadline ended, they started moving towards the State Guest House Jamuna and faced police action.
Around the same time, another group of students from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) tried to go towards the Jamuna and faced police action near the National Press Club area. A chase-counter-chase took place between them at the time.
DMP imposes fresh ban on public gatherings near Secretariat, CA residence, surrounding areas
There is already a ban by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed on all forms of public gatherings, processions, and rallies near the Bangladesh Secretariat and Jamuna, as well as surrounding areas.
They also oppose promotions through quotas or by creating equivalent positions under different titles. At the same time, they demand that recruitment tests for the 10th grade (sub-assistant engineer posts) be open to both diploma and BSc holders.
In addition, protesters called for legal measures against individuals using the "engineer" title without holding a BSc degree, and for non-accredited BSc engineering programmes to be brought under IEB-BTEB accreditation following proper procedures.
During yesterday's demonstration, BUET alumnus engineer Rokonuzzaman Rokon received a death threat. Today, the protesters condemned the threat and demanded justice.
Besides BUET, students from other engineering universities such as KUET, RUET, CUET, SUST, MIST, AUST, BUTEX, as well as engineering faculties of public and private universities, have joined the blockade.
Shahbagh Police Station Officer-in-Charge Khalid Mansur told TBS that traffic is being diverted through alternative routes.
Around Shahbagh intersection, protesting students have blocked roads using DMP roadblocks. They are allowing only ambulances and vehicles on emergency duty to pass. Many people going out for daily necessities were seen walking under the scorching sun.
At the intersection, students were seen chanting slogans and holding posters and banners stating their demands, similar to yesterday's (26 August) protest.
Students were heard shouting slogans such as "No tilling with goats, it will not happen," "Merit, or quota, merit, merit," and "In my golden Bengal, there is no place for inequality."
A heightened police presence was also deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation.
As part of their "March to Dhaka" programme, protesters have also called for nationwide solidarity among engineering students. Students from institutions across the country have been urged to join the demonstration at Shahbagh.
Rizwan, a student of the 2021–22 session from BUET's Mechanical Engineering Department, said, "Yesterday [Tuesday] we presented three demands. But as the interim government did not meet them, we have taken a stricter action today.
Yesterday, students staged a similar blockade from 3pm until 8pm, disrupting traffic for about five hours before withdrawing. Vehicular movement resumed later in the night.
Polytechnic institutes in Bangladesh
Currently, there are 73 government polytechnic institutes in Bangladesh.
According to 2024 data, besides polytechnic institutes, the number of government technical schools and colleges in the country stands at 149. Work is also underway to establish one government technical school and college in 329 upazilas.
Apart from these, there are several thousand private diploma colleges and institutes across the country.
