Rejecting the interim government’s newly formed committee, protesting engineering students have announced a fresh five-point demand.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon (27 August) in front of the InterContinental Hotel in Dhaka, the students declared that they will continue their protest until their demands are met. 

Earlier in the day, the Cabinet Division formed a committee to examine and make recommendations on the professional demands of BSc and diploma engineers, amid protests by both groups over competing demands.

BSc engineers from Buet and other universities had launched protests with three demands, including barring diploma engineers from using the title of “engineer” before their names. They blockaded the Shahbagh intersection for the second day today to press home their demands.

At noon today, police fired tear gas and sound grenades, charged batons, and used water cannon to disperse students of engineering universities from the Minto Road, in front of the InterContinental Dhaka, as they marched towards the chief adviser’s official residence, Jamuna to press home their demands.

Speaking on behalf of the students at the press conference this afternoon, Jubayer Ahmed, a civil engineering student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), outlined their new demands.

The students said Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury must publicly apologise and take responsibility for today’s “police attack” on members of the ‘Engineers’ Rights Movement’. 

They urged the authorities to issue an executive order implementing their previously announced three-point demand. 

In addition, the protesters demanded that the government bear the medical expenses of all injured students and ensure the safety of demonstrators. 

They also called for the immediate arrest and dismissal of those responsible for the attack on Buet graduate engineer Roknuzzaman Rokon, and insisted on disciplinary action against the police officers allegedly involved in the assault.

The students further demanded the dismissal of DC Masud, accusing him of ordering the attack on protesters. 

They said that unless their demands are fulfilled, they will not withdraw from their demonstrations.