Polytechnic students vow to continue protests

Students of polytechnic institutes yesterday expressed dissatisfaction over the outcome of a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Education and announced plans to intensify their ongoing protests to press home their six-point demand.

The meeting began around 12:00pm at the Secretariat, where Rehana Yasmin, additional secretary (technical wing) of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, met an 18-member delegation from Karigori Chhatro Andolon, Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, student representative Mashfiq Islam said, "We did not receive any official documents or see any concrete initiatives from the ministry. They have been delaying progress on every issue."

"Today's discussion was not fruitful. We will announce new protest programmes soon to push for our demands," he added.

Later in the evening, the students announced that torch processions would be held across the country at 7:30pm in protest of both the unproductive meeting and the recent attack on students in Cumilla.

They said further programmes would be declared after the procession.

Earlier in the day, students had postponed a planned rail blockade in consideration of the scheduled meeting with ministry officials.

On Wednesday, over a thousand students of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute blocked the road at Tejgaon from morning till evening, severely disrupting traffic and causing public inconvenience.

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

Meanwhile, the principal of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, Mohammad Mostafizur Rahman Khan, has been removed from his post and attached to the Directorate of Technical Education.

Shahela Parvin, previously the vice principal, has been appointed as the new principal.