Students of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) have announced a 'March to Dhaka' programme for Wednesday, as part of their ongoing movement to press home a three-point demand.

The announcement came on Tuesday, with student leaders calling for nationwide solidarity among engineering students.

Speaking to UNB, Zubair Ahmed, a student of the Department of Municipal Engineering at BUET, said, “We will block Shahbagh at 10 am on Wednesday as part of the programme.”

Students from engineering universities across the country have been urged to join the protest and gather at Shahbagh at the same time.

Earlier, the protesters started their demonstrations around 3 pm and continued till 8pm, halting traffic in the busy Shahbagh area.

Their demands are mandatory tests for all candidates seeking entry into the ninth grade in engineering, or for posts such as assistant engineer and equivalent, with eligibility restricted to those holding at least a BSc degree.

They also oppose promotions through quotas or by creating equivalent positions under different titles. They also demand that recruitment examinations for the technical 10th grade, or sub-assistant engineer positions, be open to both diploma and BSc holders.

Legal measures must be taken against those using the engineer title without having a BSc degree in engineering. Besides, non-accredited BSc engineering courses must be brought under IEB-BTEB accreditation following proper procedures.

Nishad Rahman, a student from the 21st batch of the Department of Civil Engineering, said, “This is our prolonged movement but the government is not paying any attention to our demands. So, we have been compelled to take to the streets.”