United News of Bangladesh

In a strong protest against the attack on polytechnic students in Cumilla, students at Dhaka Polytechnic Institute covered the institution’s nameplate with a red cloth and held a human chain on Saturday. The protest, dubbed 'Rise in Red', was organised to express solidarity with the ongoing demonstrations and to voice their dissent over the treatment of diploma engineers and realize their six-point demand. The campus reverberated with slogans such as "From Mama to Master, the demands of the maternal home", "If Duet is an option, where will the diploma students go?", "Why the attack in Cumilla? We demand answers from authorities", and "Non-tech should not exist in the polytechnic". The voices of the students echoed their frustrations with the system and the perceived inequities faced by polytechnic graduates in the job market. This protest is part of a broader movement that has seen polytechnic students staging demonstrations for the past four days across Dhaka and other parts of the country. Students, locals block Dhaka-bound vehicle demanding gas distribution in Bhola Their six-point demand, which includes the cancellation of a High Court ruling regarding the promotion of craft instructors to junior instructors, have sparked nationwide unrest. The students also seek the revocation of the controversial craft instructor recruitment policy that was introduced in 2021, and they are calling for the permanent dismissal of those involved in the legal case connected to these issues. Earlier, on Wednesday, polytechnic students blocked roads in areas like Tejgaon, Mohammadpur and Mirpur, as part of their protest. The following day, Thursday, they held a marathon meeting with officials from the Ministry of Education, but when no resolution was reached, they vowed to continue their protest. Later that evening, torch processions were organised across various regions in the country. On Friday, students participated in a mass procession, with many wearing shrouds on their heads, symbolising their commitment to the cause. Their primary demand was the reversal of the High Court’s decision regarding the promotion of craft instructors to junior instructors, along with the renaming of the craft instructor position and the permanent removal of all individuals connected to the case. Besides, the students are calling for an immediate cancellation of the 2021 controversial recruitment guidelines for craft instructors, demanding that the appointments be annulled based on a fair investigation. They also seek action against the chief architect of the controversial appointments. Mushdiq, a protesting polytechnic student, shared his thoughts: "Polytechnic students are constantly undermined in the job market. Diploma engineers are not given the value they deserve in the workplace. This isn’t the fault of the students; it is a systemic issue." The students have also demanded that the four-year diploma engineering course be maintained, with the introduction of modernised and high-quality syllabi and curriculum, in line with global standards.

After staging a daylong road blockades in parts of the country, students of public and private polytechnic institutes announced a countrywide rail blockade for Thursday as part of their ongoing movement to press six points demands. The announcement came in the evening from Zubayer Patwary, a representative of the Technical Students’ Movement, at Tejgaon’s Satrasta point. He said that although the road blockade programme has been withdrawn for the day, the movement is far from over. "We are now preparing to block the railway communication network across the country as part of our next course of action," he said. According to Zubayer, a meeting was held earlier with the Director General of the Directorate of Technical Education Shoaib Ahmed Khan, the principal of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, and other officials. However, no agreement was reached as the authorities did not provide any written assurance to meet their demands. "That is why we are going forward with the nationwide rail blockade tomorrow (Thursday)," Zubayer said, urging polytechnic students from across the country to join and make the programme a success. Sudden rain brings relief to Dhaka residents amid scorching April heat Earlier vehicular movement came to a standstill on major city routes on Tuesday after demonstrators blocked the Saat Rasta intersection in Tejgaon from around 10:30am. The blockade severely disrupted traffic movement from 11:30 am towards Uttara, Gulistan, and Sayedabad, causing immense suffering for thousands of commuters. Officials from the police and other law enforcement agencies attempted to persuade the protesters to clear the road, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Later, the traffic department issued alternative route directives for city dwellers. Traffic remained suspended on the Saat Rasta road until the evening. The situation returned to normal after the blockade was withdrawn, according to officials.