Polytechnic students in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country continued their protests on Saturday for the fourth day and staged demonstrations titled ‘RISE in RED’ to press home their six-point demand.
The agitating students staged their ‘RISE in RED’ programme by covering the nameplates of their institutions with red clothes and bringing out processions and forming human chains carrying red banners.
They, after holding demonstrations, announced that they would hold ‘grand rallies’ on the campuses of all polytechnic institutes across the country on Sunday to press home their demands and protest at the attack on protesters by the members of different law enforcement agencies in Cumilla on April 16.
Their six-point demands include the cancelation of a High Court verdict that allows the promotion of craft instructors to junior instructors.
In Dhaka, several thousand students of different polytechnic institutes brought out a procession in front of the main gate of the Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology at about 10:30am. Â
Addressing a human chain following the programme in front of the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute in the capital, Bangladesh Karigori Chhatra Andolan central representative Jubayer Patowari said that they would hold grand rallies in all polytechnic institutions across the country to press home their demands and attack on protesters in Cumilla.
Female students of Dhaka Mahila Polytechnic Institute also held the ‘RISE in RED’ programme as part of their centrally announced programme.
¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· correspondent in Gazipur reported that the protesting students gathered on Shimultali-Shibbari road at Shibbari crossing and blocked the point at about 11:30am.
They held a rally there and left the place at about 12:00 noon.
Polytechnic students also observed their ‘RISE IN RED’ programme in districts including Rajshahi, Sherpur, Rangpur, Munshiganj, Chapainawabganj, Bogura, Naogaon, Patuakhali and Tangail, reports received from the districts said. Â
They alleged that though the deputy assistant engineers and 10th-grade posts in the government, autonomous and private organisations were designated for polytechnic students, many such organisations were appointing diploma engineers in lower-grade posts.
They urged the government to take legal action against the organisations that are appointing diploma engineers in posts lower than the 10th grade.
They demanded forming a technical and higher education ministry and a technical education reform commission for their cause.
They also demanded a ban on appointing people having no technical education background as assistant directors, directors, board chairpersons, deputy secretaries, examination controllers and principals for running technical education.
