Bachelor of Science in engineering students, mostly from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, blocked the Shahbagh crossing in the capital Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon, pressing for reforms in the recruitment and promotion system of engineers in the public service.
The protesters demanded that all the candidates must pass a recruitment examination and hold at least a BSc degree to enter into the ninth grade public jobs in engineering, promotions through quotas are not allowed, and no promotion can be granted even by creating equivalent positions under different titles.
The protesters announced 鈥楲ong March to Dhaka鈥� for a bigger gathering at the Shahbagh crossing at about 10:00am today as they called fellows to join the protest from across the country.
Shahbagh police station officer-in-charge Khalid Mansoor said that the students staged a procession and blocked the Shahbagh crossing at about 3:45pm, bringing the traffic to a halt in the busy area.
Thousands of commuters, particularly office-goers on their way home, suffered in severe congestion as police diverted vehicles to alternative routes, causing congestion on other city roads.
Engineering students in Gazipur, Sylhet, Rangpur, Chattogram and Rajshahi among others also took to the streets in their respective areas.
The students said that the protest was triggered by Monday鈥檚 incident in Rangpur, where BUET graduate engineer Rokonuzzaman Rokon, an official at the Northern Electricity Supply PLC, was allegedly assaulted and threatened with death by a group of diploma engineers for supporting the BSc engineers鈥� ongoing movement.
鈥楳ore than a thousand students gathered at the Shhabagh crossing at about 3:45pm to press their three demands. The Shahbagh crossing was fully blocked and the traffic movement had been disrupted since then,鈥� OC Khalid said.
Lazim Al Mottakin, one of the protesters, said that they immediately took to the streets demanding punishment of the people who gave the death threat to the engineer.
Md Wali Ullah, president of the Prokousholi Adhikar Andolan, a platform of BSc engineers, said that they had been demonstrating to press their three-point demand for the past six months in a peaceful manner.
鈥極ur demands are not met as the government has not taken any move,鈥� he said.
Kawshar Ahmed Porosh, member secretary of the platform, said that as the government did not give them any assurance, they announced the 鈥楲ong March to Dhaka.鈥�
The protesters鈥� demands also included abolition of the 100 per cent quota for diploma engineers in 10th-grade posts, opening these positions to all eligible candidates, and restricting the use of the title
鈥楨ngineer鈥� to individuals holding a BSc degree in engineering, with legal action against those misusing the designation.
BSc degree, or Bachelor of Science, is a four-year undergraduate degree whereas diploma is a three or two year鈥檚 short degree course.
Presently, diploma engineers are only eligible for 10th grade public jobs and got promoted to the upper nine-grade and on. However, BSc engineers are not allowed for 10 grade jobs.
Agitated protesters chanted slogan that 鈥榥o space for discrimination in Bangladesh in 24, diploma degree holders are technicians,鈥� and many more.
Till writing this report at 7:30pm, the students continued protest blocking the road that created heavy public sufferings.
The students were not allowing any vehicle, except ambulances, to cross the busy crossing that connects four major city roads.
Earlier on August 21, the BUET students staged a protest march at midnight, rejecting the seven-point demand recently made by diploma engineers.
On August 19, the Bangladesh Diploma Engineering Students, Teachers, Professionals, Sangram Parishad submitted a memorandum with the seven-point demand.
Their demands included reservation of 10th grade sub-assistant engineer/equivalent posts only for them in light of the existing notification, promotion from sub-assistant engineer to assistant engineer post to 50 per cent, creating opportunities for them to pursue higher education through credit transfer and modernisation of the curriculum of Diploma.
