Polytechnic students stage protests across country

Published : Friday, 18 April, 2025 at 8:11 PM Count : 204

Students of polytechnic institutes staged demonstrations in various parts of the country today after Juma prayers to press home their six-point demand.

Draped in white shrouds, the demonstrators carried banners and placards while chanting slogans, calling for urgent government intervention.

The students warned that if their demands are not met promptly, they will intensify their movement in the coming days.

In Dhaka, several hundred students under the banner of "Technical Student Movement" began their protest from Dhaka Polytechnic Institute around 2:15pm. The procession marched through different roads and concluded with a rally in front of the institute.

At the rally, Mashfiq Islam, a central representative of the platform, said, "It is a matter of our existence. We will remain united to meet our demands through tougher movement."

Another central representative, Zubayer Patowari, said, "We do not want to cause suffering to people through our protest. We want to contribute to developing our country. But the government should address our problems."

The protesters said they would hold a meeting with senior students in Gazipur tomorrow to decide the next course of action.

Apart from the capital, polytechnic students brought out similar protests in Jhenidah, Lakshmipur, Khulna, Barishal, Rangpur, and other parts of the country.

The students organised today's protest expressing dissatisfaction over the outcome of a meeting with education ministry officials held at the Secretariat yesterday.

Following the meeting, student representatives said they did not receive any official documents or see any concrete initiatives from the ministry, prompting them to announce fresh programmes.

Torch processions were also announced to be held at 7:30pm across various locations, in protest of both the unproductive meeting and a recent attack on students in Cumilla.

"The government has to act cordially too. They have to prove that they do not want people's suffering and for this, they have to solve our problem soon. Otherwise, we will go for tougher movement," a protester said.

Their six-point demand includes the removal of "controversial craft instructors" appointed after 2021, conversion of the diploma engineering programme into a full four-year course with six-month-long semesters, and ensuring that only diploma holders can apply for the post of deputy assistant engineer (Grade 10) and equivalent positions.

FP/MI