The Karigori Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh (Polytechnic Students’ Movement Bangladesh) has announced a shutdown programme in all the polytechnic institutes of the country to press home their six-point demand.
This shutdown will continue from today, Tuesday, a press release sent to the media Monday night said, reports Prothom Alo.
The press release signed by Karigori Chhatra Andolan office secretary (temporary) Sabbir Ahmed, mentioned that the shutdown programme will go on in every polytechnic institute simultaneously until an outline is formulated to implement their six-point demands.
The first of the six-point demand announced by the polytechnic students is cancellation of 30 per cent quota of craft instructors for promotion to junior instructor position.
It also includes annulment of the High Court’s verdict on craft instructors’ promotion to junior instructor position, change of craft instructors’ designation, dismissal of those involved in the court case, annulment of the appointment of craft instructors recruited in 2021, and immediate correction of that disputed recruitment regulation.
Earlier on 16 April, students of the polytechnic institute demonstrated by blocking roads, highways, and rail tracks in different parts of the country, including Dhaka, with the six-point demand. The next day, they announced daylong ‘rail blockade’ across the country.
Then on the morning of 17 April, it was announced on behalf of the demonstrators that they have a meeting with the education adviser in the afternoon and the rail blockade programme will remain relaxed until then.
As there was a meeting of the advisory council on that day, education adviser Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar (CR Abrar) was not present in the ministry till late in the afternoon.
Secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division, KM Kabirul Islam was also outside of Dhaka. In this situation, a group of representative from the demonstrating students attended a meeting with additional secretary (technical division) Rehana Yasmin.
However the students were not satisfied with the discussion. In this circumstance they announced to continue with their protests. As part of that announcement, they carried out a torch procession in all the polytechnic institutes of the country at 7:30 pm on 17 April.
Then students of all polytechnic institutes across the country carried out a procession, tying shrouds around their heads after the Jumma prayers on 18 April. And on 20 April, the Karigori Chhatra Andolan carried out grand rallies in front of all the technical education institutes across country.
The education ministry has formed an eight-member committee to formulate the outlines for implementation of the six-point demands of polytechnic students. The committee has been instructed to submit a report on the outline within three weeks.
