BUET postpones all undergraduate exams amid protests
All undergraduate-level and term examinations at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have been postponed. The university announced the decision in a notice published on its website on Wednesday.
The urgent notice, signed by BUET Registrar Professor Dr NM Golam Zakaria, stated that in light of the current situation, all undergraduate exams scheduled from August 30 to September 18 have been suspended. It added that further decisions regarding undergraduate examinations will be made after discussions in the Academic Council.
The move came after students of BUET and engineering faculties at other universities launched a protest pressing a three-point demand.
Their demands include:
• All candidates for ninth-grade engineering positions, assistant engineer posts, or equivalent roles must pass a recruitment exam and hold at least a BSc degree. Promotions through quota or by creating positions under different titles should not be allowed.
• Recruitment exams for tenth-grade technical positions or sub-assistant engineer posts, or equivalent roles, should be open to both diploma and BSc degree holders.
• Legal action must be taken against individuals using engineering titles without holding a BSc degree.
Clashes broke out on Wednesday when students marched toward the chief adviser’s residence, Jamuna, to press home their demands. Police used sound grenades, tear gas, and water cannons during the confrontation. Later, baton charges dispersed the students. Several students, journalists, and police personnel were injured.
Amid the clashes and with their demands unmet, the protesting students expanded their charter from three points to five and rejected the government-formed committee tasked with resolving the crisis.
At a press conference in front of Hotel Intercontinental in Dhaka around 5 pm Wednesday, BUET civil engineering student Jubayer Ahmed said the interim government’s adviser for home affairs must apologise for the attack on students and be held accountable.
“We reject the committee formed through the gazette,” he said. “A new committee must be formed immediately with representatives from university teachers and protesting students.”
He further demanded that the government issue an executive order by gazette accepting the students’ three-point demands without delay. Interim government advisers Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adilur Rahman Khan, and Syeda Rizwana Hasan must personally guarantee this, he said. Injured students must receive treatment at the government’s expense, security of the protesters must be ensured, and no further attacks on the movement can be allowed.
He also demanded action against those responsible for the attack on student leader Rokon, as well as against police officers involved in the assault.
According to the press conference, at least 60 protesting students were injured in the police action.