Ministry smells a rat

The education ministry apprehends that instigation by some vested quarters was behind the recent restiveness of polytechnic students at different places.
Speaking on the issue, education Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury said yesterday the government had neither brought any change in the status of the diploma engineers nor had any plan to do so.
“Despite announcing it repeatedly on behalf of the government, unrest has been created through cashing in on rumours,” he told reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting at the secretariat, adding that stern action would be taken against the instigators following a probe.
He urged the students of polytechnic institutes not to get confused by the rumours and pay more attention to their studies.
The education ministry convened the meeting on the recent incidents at different polytechnic institutes in protest against the 'downgrading of the rank of diploma engineers'.
Students of polytechnic institutes across the country have been demonstrating since Thursday after a rumour spread that the status of diploma engineers had been downgraded from Class II to Class III.
At yesterday's meeting, two committees were formed to identify the prevailing problems of the teachers involved in technical and vocational institutions, and educational problems of the polytechnic students. The committees have been asked to submit their proposals within a month, said the secretary.
Public Works Secretary Khandker Shawkat Hossain has been made chief of the committee formed to identify professional problems while Additional Secretary (development) of education ministry Iqbal Khan Chowdhury will head the other.
On Friday, the education ministry formed a three-member probe body to ascertain the cause behind Thursday's demonstrations.
The secretary said the government in line with the prime minister's directives would take all necessary steps to develop technical education.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Polytechnic Teachers' Association (BPTA) President Idris Ali and General Secretary Nirmol Chandra Shikdar also urged the students to ignore rumours. In a joint statement, they termed as unwarranted and undesirable the rampage in some polytechnic institutes.