Polytechnic students call off protests after govt assurance for 6-point demand implementation
"The committee...requested three weeks' time. Trusting the ministry and the committee, we have decided to suspend the movement," student rep says
Polytechnic students on Tuesday (22 April) announced suspending their protests temporarily following the government's decision to form a committee to build a roadmap for the implementation of their six-point demand, including the revocation of a controversial 30% promotion quota allocated to craft instructors for the post of junior instructor.
During a "Technical Student Movement, Bangladesh" press conference at 8pm in the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, student representative Mashfiq Islam said, "The committee has been formed to draft a roadmap for implementing our six demands. They have requested three weeks' time. Trusting the ministry and the committee, we have decided to suspend the movement."
"However, if there is no visible progress within the stipulated time, we will resume our movement," he also said.
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Earlier today, the interim government formed an eight-member committee to formulate a roadmap for the implementation of the six-point demand raised by the protesting polytechnic students.
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.
