Technical students across Bangladesh have warned of intensified protests after expressing dissatisfaction with the outcome of a meeting held at the Ministry of Education. The students stated that no visible action had been taken by the authorities regarding their six-point demand, prompting them to declare the continuation of their movement with the possibility of stricter protest programs ahead.

The meeting took place at noon on Thursday at the Secretariat, where Additional Secretary Rehana Yasmin of the Technical and Madrasah Education Division met with an 18-member delegation from the student-led platform "Karigori Chhatra Andolon Bangladesh." Following the meeting, student representative Mashfik Islam briefed the media, saying that the students were not satisfied with the results of the discussion.

Mashfik noted that although they sat for talks with the additional secretary, they did not observe any signs of concrete measures being taken to address their demands. As a result, they announced their intention to intensify the movement. According to the representatives, their agitation would continue until their demands are acknowledged and implemented by the government.

The students’ six-point demand includes the immediate cancellation of a 30 percent promotion quota for craft instructors in recruitment for junior instructor positions. They also insist that the minimum educational qualification for junior instructor (technical) posts should be a diploma in engineering. Furthermore, they demand that all posts in technical education institutions be filled with personnel who have formal technical education, including craft instructors.

Another major demand is the establishment of engineering universities in all divisional cities to ensure access to higher technical education for diploma graduates. Additionally, students want the introduction of technical education at the secondary school level and for diploma engineers to be considered eligible to apply for teaching positions in schools offering technical curricula. Lastly, they call for the implementation of a minimum wage scale for diploma engineers working in the private sector.

As part of their ongoing protests to realize these demands, students of public and private polytechnic institutes had earlier announced plans to block railway lines in Dhaka and across the country. Alongside this, they declared a non-cooperation movement. However, after receiving assurances from top government officials, the students temporarily scaled back some of their protest programs and agreed to enter dialogue.

The students had previously launched major demonstrations on Wednesday, gathering in the Tejgaon Satrasta area of Dhaka from 10 AM to voice their demands through protests and a sit-in. Their movement quickly gained momentum, with similar road blockades taking place in various districts in solidarity.

Later that afternoon, around 4:15 PM, the Director General of the Directorate of Technical Education, Shoaib Ahmad Khan, arrived at the protest site and assured the students that their demands would be met. He specifically stated that there would be no quota for craft instructors in promotion to higher positions.

Despite these assurances, the student leaders argue that verbal commitments are no longer sufficient and demand clear, documented action plans from the Ministry. Unless their concerns are addressed with tangible steps, they assert, they will escalate their protests nationwide.

The student movement has drawn attention from various quarters, underscoring longstanding issues in Bangladesh’s technical education system and employment policies for diploma engineers. With no resolution yet in sight, observers now await the government's next move to defuse tensions and address the students' demands.