The students of polytechnic institutes have announced that they continue the shutdown programme across all polytechnic institutes in the country until a clear roadmap is formulated for the implementation of their six-point demand.

They stated that all academic and administrative activities at the technical institutes will remain suspended under the programme.

The students have announced the shutdown programme, expressing disappointment with the actions of the committee formed by the Ministry of Education to address their demands.

Md Mashfique Islam, central representative of the movement’s platform “Karigori Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh” (Technical Students Movement Bangladesh) and a student of the Civil Department at Dhaka Polytechnic, made the announcement at a press conference held at Dhaka Polytechnic Institute on Tuesday afternoon.

Mashfique Islam said, “We have been protesting for more than seven months but have not achieved any outcome. Despite repeated assurances, the government is yet to fulfill the students’ demands. As part of our movement, we enforced blockades across the country on 16 April. In the context of the programme, the Technical and Madrasah Education Department formed a framework committee to implement our demands, but so far only one meeting of that committee has been held. We do not see the success of this committee. We do not know how our demands will be met. In view of which, we have observed a ‘shutdown’ programme simultaneously in all the polytechnic institutes across the country. The protest will continue until our demands are met. Likewise, all activities—including access to academic and administrative buildings—will remain suspended on all polytechnic campuses.”

Shahzada Ahmed, a student of the Electrical Department of Sherpur Polytechnic Institute, said “The committee formed by the government is not working properly on our six-point demand. But we will not resort to violence.”

“We will not participate in any programmes that cause inconvenience to the public. We are also ready to assist the six-point implementation committee. However, we will continue to observe the shutdown programme in all the polytechnic institutes until the demands is met through a collective decision of the students,” he added.

Earlier on Monday night, a press release signed by Sabbir Ahmed, office secretary of Technical Students Movement Bangladesh, announced the shutdown of polytechnic institutes across the country from Tuesday.

According to the announcement, the students locked the academic and administrative buildings of Dhaka, Chattogram, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Cumilla, Jhenaidah, Kushtia, Lakshmipur, Feni, Chapainawabganj and Gopalganj polytechnic institutes from Tuesday morning. Later, they announced to continue the shutdown programme of all polytechnics by boycotting classes and examinations until the demand is met at around 12:00pm.

On 22 April, the government formed an eight-member committee under pressure from the students to meet the six-point demand. The committee has been asked to submit its report to the Education Ministry within three weeks. However, after its formation, the committee held a meeting on 27 April. As a result, students became frustrated with the committee’s activities and they did not suspend their movement and announced a nationwide shutdown programme.

Additional Secretary of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division of the Ministry of Education has been made the chairman of the committee. General Secretary of the Institution of Engineers (IEB) Prof Md Sabbir Mostafa Khan, Member-Secretary of the Institution of Diploma Engineers (IDEB) Engineer Kazi Sakhawat Hossain, Prof Syed Abdul Aziz, Director (Planning and Development) of the Directorate of Technical Education Mohammad Faisal Mufti, Chief Executive Adviser of the Technical Students “Movement Md Rahmatul Alam, and Joint Secretaries of the Technical and Madrasah Education Department (Technical) were made members of the committee.