Six injured as police disperse engineering students march

Police baton-charge students of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) as they attempt to march to the residence of the Chief Adviser on Wednesday to press home their three-point demand, including not allowing the use of the title 'engineer' before the names of diploma engineers. — FE Photo by K Asad-Uz-Zaman

At least six people, including a journalist, were injured on Wednesday as police used force to disperse engineering students who were marching toward the chief adviser's Jamuna residence in the capital to press home their three-point demand.

Five students among the injured were from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). The injured journalist, Alam Sharif Shimul (32), works at The New Nation.

The injured students are Sadid Nasif (21), Shahadat (22), Navid (21), Rizon (23) and Hasan (22).

All six were taken to the Emergency Department of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMC) around 2:30 PM and two of them were released after receiving first aid, according to hospital sources and Md. Faruk, the police officer in-charge of the DMC police camp.

The clash began shortly after 1:30 PM when police intercepted the students' march near the Hotel Intercontinental. Students responded by throwing bricks and stones, prompting police to use force to disperse the crowd. Officers reportedly used batons, water cannons, sound grenades, and tear gas shells.

As of 5:30 PM, students remained stationed near Hotel Intercontinental.

At 11:00 AM, as part of their pre-announced "Long March to Dhaka" programme, engineering students gathered at Shahbagh, where traffic came to a standstill due to the students' blockade.

Meanwhile, after the police attack on the protest, the students of "Engineering Rights Movement" have announced a fresh five-point demand, which was shared on Wednesday afternoon through the movement's media group. They also declared that their demonstrations would continue until the demands are met.

The demands are as follows:

The students called on Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury to appear before the protesters, take responsibility and formally apologise for the "brutal and shameful" police attack on engineering students.

They rejected the government-formed committee announced earlier through a gazette, saying it does not represent them. They demanded immediate reconstitution of the committee with university teachers and relevant stakeholders from the Engineering Rights Movement. They also urged that their earlier three-point demand be accepted and enforced through an executive order without delay. The three advisers, Muhammad Faozul Kabir Khan, Adilur Rahman, and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, must give assurance of this in person.

The government must bear all medical expenses for the injured students and ensure the safety of students throughout the movement. They also warned that police must not attack their peaceful and logical demonstrations again.

They demanded the immediate arrest and dismissal of those involved in the attack on student leader Rokon, bringing them under the law. Finally, they urged that DC Masud be removed from his post for his role in the assault on students during the movement.

The three earlier demands of the protesting engineering students are diploma engineers should not be allowed to use the title "Engineer" before their names, diploma engineers must not be promoted to 9th-grade government positions, and only graduate engineers should be eligible for entry-level (10th-grade) government engineering jobs.

Md. Sakibul Hoque Lipu, general secretary of the movement, claimed that around 50 students were injured in the confrontations with police and several were admitted to hospitals.

Meanwhile, commuters faced significant inconvenience due to the students' blockade at Shahbagh on Wednesday. On-site observation showed that buses traveling from Matsya Bhaban toward various destinations via Shahbagh were turning back at the Shahbagh intersection. Vehicles trying to pass through Shahbagh from Dhaka University were not being allowed to cross the intersection. Cars approaching Shahbagh via Katabon were also stuck in gridlock.

On Tuesday, students blocked Shahbagh for five hours in support of their previous three-point demand.

Despite the growing tension, students have reiterated that their movement will continue until their demands are met.

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