Bangladesh: Polytechnic Institutes go on nationwide shutdown for technical education reforms

Dhaka, April 29 (IANS) Students' protests escalated in Bangladesh as the Technical Students' Movement -- the platform representing the students of public and private technical educational institutions -- announced a shutdown program at all polytechnic institutes in the country on Tuesday, pressing a six-point demand for reforms in technical education.

Meanwhile, several students halted academic and administrative activities by locking the administration buildings of their respective institutions.

Additionally, the students of Dhaka Polytechnic Institute chanted slogans in support of their demands and locked academic buildings, the principal's office, and the main entrance gate on Tuesday morning, according to local media reports.

"We have received assurances at various times. However, we have not seen any steps taken to fulfil our demands. As a result, we have been forced to announce a shutdown programme. Under this programme, all types of academic and administrative activities will remain closed," the leading Bangladeshi newspaper, The Business Standard, reported, quoting a protesting student as saying.

The Polytechnic students have been asking for the fulfilment of their demands for a long period, as the protest movement intensified on April 16.

Last week, the protesting students blocked roads, highways, and railways in various parts of the country, causing trouble to the locals due to the heavy traffic caused by the blockade.

Following the protest, the Ministry of Education formed a committee to draft a roadmap for implementing the demands.

The students decided to suspend their movement on April 22, but the next day they withdrew their decision and announced to continue with the protests, bdnews24 reported.

"Our respected director general initially said that the six-point demands were logical, but later claimed that some were logical and some were not. That is why we are back on the streets. We have never backed down from our demands. To fix the current deplorable state of technical education, the demands must be accepted," said Md Rahel Rana Hawladar, a Dhaka Polytechnic Institute student.

Earlier this week, the Polytechnic students resuming the demonstrations across the country demanded urgent action on their six-point demand.

Local media reported that the students' six-point demands include cancelling the 30 per cent promotion quota for craft instructors, introducing a four-year standardised curriculum and an age limit for admissions, and gradually shifting to English as the medium of instruction.

Additionally, they demanded the enforcement of reserved quotas for technical posts under Grade 10 and the establishment of a dedicated technical university for polytechnic and mono-technic graduates.

To ensure merit-based recruitment, strengthen technical education, and improve career prospects in polytechnic institutes, these reforms are essential, according to the students.

Recently, another student protest movement gripped Bangladesh as agricultural diploma students announced the "Agri Blockade" programme and staged a sit-in demonstration blocking all the gates of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Dhaka, demanding opportunities for higher education along with eight other key demands.

In recent months, Bangladesh has witnessed a surge in student protest movements under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government amid a deteriorating law and order situation in the country.

--IANS

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