Engineering students took up position at Shahbagh intersection around 11:00am on Wednesday in order to press home their three-point demands, as per a pre-declared 'Long March to Dhaka' programme.
However, things took an untoward turn when they began to march towards the Chief Adviser's official residence, the State Guest House Jamuna, around 1:30pm, as police charged at them with batons and used sound grenades, tear shells and water cannons to disburse them.
This violent response, which students termed unprovoked, led to demands that law enforcers who attacked protestors, including the Ramna Zone DC, resign from their posts.
Shortly after 2:00pm, engineering students from across the country had taken up positions at Shahbagh and in front of Hotel Intercontinental.
Most students had painted their faces with toothpaste, one of various techniques employed to protect themselves from tear shells.
As a result, traffic movement in Shahbagh, Bangla Motor, Katabon, and surrounding areas ground to a halt.
Mizanur Rahman, a final-year honors student at BUET, told Stream, "We were carrying out a peaceful movement for our three-point demand. Around 1:30pm, when we started marching from Shahbagh towards Jamuna, the police attacked us without any provocation.
"There are thousands of students here. As you can see, no one is carrying a stick. There are no bricks. There are no bombs. We did not attack the police. The police beat and injured us without reason. They used sound grenades, tear shells, batons, and even water cannons."
Intisar Ahmed, another final-year honors student at BUET, told Stream, "Yunus came to power through a movement of the talented. We were trying to go to his residence to give him a soft message that we are in trouble and to ask him to please do something for us."
Sakibul Haque Lipu, general secretary of the Engineers' Rights Movement, told Stream, "We had given the government an ultimatum until 1:00pm, requesting that representatives come and issue a proclamation. But now it is almost 4:00pm, and no one from the government has contacted us. Our plan was to march from Shahbagh to the Secretariat. Later, after discussing among ourselves, we changed the plan and announced a march to Jamuna."
When asked why they changed the route, Lipu said, "Even yesterday, we were called to the Secretariat and deceived. That's why today, instead of going to the Secretariat, we announced a march towards Jamuna."
Asked about the next course of action, Lipu said, "Those who ordered this attack, including DC Masud Alam of the Ramna zone, must be removed. The entire police force and the Home Affairs Adviser must unconditionally apologise for attacking unarmed brothers. Fawzul Kabir Khan, Rizwana Hasan, and Asif Nazrul, the three advisers, must come here and issue a proclamation to implement the three-point demand. Until our demands are met, we will stay here."
Masud Alam, deputy commissioner (DC) of the Ramna division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told Stream that students were supposed to stay at Shahbagh until 3:00pm.
"After 3:00pm, they were supposed to go to the Secretariat, and we had prepared accordingly. Around 1:30pm, I was talking with the leaders. While talking, when they found space, and ran suddenly. They were repeatedly told that there was a blockade at the Intercontinental intersection and that they could not cross it. But upon reaching the intersection, they broke the blockade and proceeded all the way to the Chief Adviser's residence.
"Section 144 has been imposed in the areas around Jamuna. It is the most secure and sensitive area. If they go there, should we not take any action? Should the police do nothing? Should we remain seated?," the deputy commissioner asked.
The protesters claimed that at least 50 students were injured in the police attack.
However, Md Faruk, officer-in-charge of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital police post, told Stream, "Four people were injured in the incident and they have received preliminary treatment at Dhaka Medical."
Meanwhile, in addition to the students, at least eight police officers were also injured, reports UNB.
After this incident, the government formed a committee to examine the demands and give recommendations.
The students, however, declared that they would continue their movement, terming the committee formed by the government inappropriate.
They demanded this committee be replaced with a new one.
It is worth mentioning that engineering students have been protesting for a long time for their three-point demand.
They even blocked Shahbagh yesterday afternoon. However, as their demands were not met, they announced the 'Long March to Dhaka' program starting today.
To carry out this program, the students gathered at the BUET campus this morning. The students marched to Shahbagh from the Shaheed Minar area in front of BUET's main gate.
Three demands of engineering students
1. To enter Grade 9 of Engineering jobs, i.e. Assistant Engineer or equivalent positions, everyone must pass a recruitment examination and must hold at least a BSc degree. No promotion will be allowed through quotas, and even creating equivalent positions under a different name cannot be used for promotion.
2. Recruitment examinations for Technical Grade 10, Sub-Assistant Engineer, or equivalent positions must be open to both diploma and BSc degree holders.
3. Proper legal action must be taken regarding individuals using the title of Engineer without a BSc degree in engineering. Non-accredited BSc engineering courses must be brought under IEB-BTEB accreditation following the appropriate procedures.
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