Buet suspends all undergraduate exams from 30 Aug till 18 Sept amid protests

All undergraduate examinations at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) have been suspended as student protests to press home three demands continue across engineering universities.

In a notice signed by Buet Registrar Professor Dr Nayeb Md Golam Zakaria dated 27 August, the university announced that all undergraduate exams scheduled to be held between 30 August and 18 September have been postponed due to the prevailing situation. 

The Buet academic council will later decide on rescheduling after further discussions, it added.

Shutdown underway at Buet, other engineering universities as students press for 3 demands

Notably, students at engineering universities in the country are boycotting classes and examinations today (28 August) as part of a "complete shutdown" programme announced by Engineers' Rights Movement General Secretary Sakibul Haque Lipu last night 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.