Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technolgoy (BUET) students staged rally demanding fundamental changes to 9th grade engineering recruitment, presenting three specific reform proposals to tackle what they call systematic discrimination in the profession.
On Tuesday, demonstration began at 11:30 AM outside university's administrative building, where students chanted "No to quota, yes to merit" and "Break the dark hands of the syndicate."
After 70 minutes of protest, organisers held a press conference at 12:40 PM to outline their comprehensive three-point agenda.
Students expressed mounting frustration over their administration's silence, stating: "Teachers from RUET and KUET have issued statements supporting their students' demands, yet our BUET administration remains silent."
They highlighted how irregular promotions have severely reduced opportunities for BSc engineering graduates seeking 9th grade assistant engineer positions. The core issue is on diploma holders receiving 'out-of-protocol promotions' into 9th grade posts through internal quotas, effectively blocking qualified BSc graduates.
Students revealed that job circulars for these positions are frequently cancelled to accommodate such promotions, creating what they term 'systematic discrimination since 2013.'
Their three demands include mandatory BSc Engineering qualifications for 9th grade assistant engineer posts, open eligibility for 10th grade technical positions for both diploma and BSc holders, and legal action against unauthorised use of the 'Engineer' title.
