A tense standoff continues at Khamarbari, the central hub for Bangladesh's agricultural sector, as agricultural diploma students have taken control of the area in solidarity with their ongoing protests. The students, who have been staging protests over their demands for higher education opportunities, have occupied the main entrance of Khamarbari since 8 AM on Monday, April 21. Their actions have disrupted access to key offices of the Ministry of Agriculture, with officials unable to enter their workplaces.

The protesters are calling for the establishment of a separate agricultural university for diploma holders and for better opportunities for higher education within existing universities. Among their eight key demands, one of the most prominent is the creation of a dedicated agricultural university for diploma students. Additionally, they are requesting that current agricultural universities provide a pathway for diploma holders to pursue higher education.

Currently, Bangladesh has 18 agricultural diploma training institutes, but the students feel that these institutes do not provide sufficient opportunities for advanced studies.

Despite a strong presence of police and military forces attempting to maintain control of the situation, the protestors continue their action, blocking roads near Khamarbari and increasing tensions in the surrounding area.

The protest has sparked a response from students at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, who have rejected the diploma students' demands as unreasonable. These students argue that admission to higher education should be based on entrance exams and not on quotas. They believe that granting admission without a fair selection process would undermine the quality of education and merit.

Mehedi Hasan, a second-year student from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, expressed his concern about the demands of the protesting students. "Out of the eight demands, three are reasonable and can be accepted, but five are completely unjustified. For example, asking for admission without an entrance exam, based solely on a quota system, is unacceptable. Additionally, they have taken control of Khamarbari and are holding officials hostage, which is why we are protesting on the streets," he said.

The clash of opinions between the two groups of students highlights the growing divide over educational reforms and the future of agricultural education in Bangladesh. While one group seeks greater access to higher education without the traditional entrance requirements, others believe that maintaining academic standards through fair exams is crucial for the credibility and development of the agricultural sector.

As the protests continue, the situation at Khamarbari remains volatile, with both sides holding firm to their positions. It remains to be seen how the government will respond to the growing pressure for educational reforms and the demands of the agricultural diploma students.