Following an assurance from the education secretary, Kamal Abdul Naser, polytechnic students have suspended their agitation for 15 days. The decision came after a meeting, called by the education ministry and the housing and public works ministry, between the education secretary and representatives of polytechnic students at the Secretariat at 12 noon on Monday.
Khandker Shawkat Hossain, secretary in the housing and public works ministry, also attended the meeting.
“Polytechnic students will henceforth be considered as diploma engineers instead of supervisors,” said Naser.
Earlier in the day, irate students of several polytechnic institutes across the country clashed with the police to press implementation of their two-point demand. At least 100 students were injured in several districts.
Faced with continuous agitation, the government has decided to call polytechnic graduates “deputy assistant engineers” instead of “supervisors”.
On Sunday, polytechnic students went on the rampage across the country to press their demand for immediate change in the 2008 gazette which identifies diploma professionals as “supervisors” instead of “engineers”. They also demanded that their scholarship and training allowances be increased.
Khandker Shawkat Hossain said diploma engineers would be considered as deputy assistant engineers after joining a job.
“The 2008 gazette notification has already been sent to the law ministry for amendment. The gazette would be amended after getting the ministry’s approval,” he added. He claimed that the protests of the students stemmed from a “misunderstanding”.
The education secretary urged the protesters to call off their demonstrations and sit for examinations. He said those who had skipped Sunday’s examination would be treated leniently.
The agitating students engaged in clashes with law enforcers in several districts, including Dhaka, Rajshahi, Tangial, Sirajganj and Bogra. The police arrested 30 people from Bogra and Rajshahi.
The angry students staged protests, vandalised vehicles and blocked roads in Rajshahi, Bogra and other districts.
At least 50 students were injured in a clash between law enforcers and students of the Rajshahi Polytechnic Institute in the morning. Ziaur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Boalia police station said the students brought out a procession and blocked the Rajshahi-Naogaon highway around 11:15 am.
On receiving the news, law enforcers rushed to the spot and fired 30 rounds of teargas shells and rubber bullets. The police also fired sound grenades to disperse the unruly students. The injured were admitted to local clinics and hospitals.
Students of the Bogra Polytechnic Institute staged a demonstration for the second consecutive day on Monday to press their two-point demand in front of the Tajma Ceramic Industry in the Thontonia area in the town, as Section 144 was imposed near polytechnic areas. The police detained four polytechnic students from the spot.
Witnesses said that the students had brought out a procession at around 10 am. They blocked the Matidali-Bonani road at one stage and started to vandalise roadside vehicles. The police rushed to the spot and fired three rounds of rubber bullets to disperse the unruly students.
Assistant Police Super (ASP) of Bogra, Md. Gaziur Rahman, confirmed the news. Sayed Shaheed Alom, officer-in-charge of Bogra Sadar police station, said the police tried to bring the situation under control. At least four agitators were picked up from the spot, he added.
On the other hand, hundreds of transport workers of Bogra district came out with batons in protest against the student demonstration on the Matidali-Bonani road. In Sylhet, at least 50 people were injured in a clash between polytechnic students and transport workers. The clash erupted when students vandalised at least 50 vehicles.
Sources said the polytechnic students had put up barricades on the Dhaka-Sylhet highway at about 12 noon to press their demand. They vandalised at least 50 vehicles. On receiving the news, transport workers obstructed them in the Mominkhola area. A clash followed and about 50 people were injured. Later, the transport workers blocked the Humayun Rashid Chattar, creating severe traffic tailbacks.
In Tangail, polytechnic students vandalised at least 50 trucks and other vehicles and brought out a stick procession in the morning, demanding implementation of their two-point demand. They brought out the procession from the collage campus and paraded different streets. They vandalised one CNG-run autorickshaw and several vehicles at the old bus stand.
Nazrul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Tangail model police station, told The Independent that members of the Truck Sramik Union blocked the Ashikpur bypass for an hour from 12 noon, demanding immediate arrest of the unruly students. They removed their blockade only after getting assurances from the authorities.
-With The Independent input
