Ctg students protest police action in Dhaka's Shahbagh, block intersection for 2hrs

Students under the banner of 'Engineers' Rights Movement' blocked Chattogram's Gate No 2 intersection for nearly two hours this evening.

The protest was organised in response to the police assault on students in Dhaka and to press home a series of demands.

Around 5:00pm, students from several institutions -- including Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (Cuet), International Islamic University Chittagong (IIUC), Premier University, and Chittagong University -- marched from the GEC intersection and gathered in front of Biplob Udyan at Gate No 2 intersection.

The majority of protesters were from Cuet, many of whom had travelled from the university's Raozan campus earlier in the day.

Traffic movement in the area came to a standstill at the time, with hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the road until the blockade was called off around 7:00pm.

Speaking to reporters, Mahfuzur Rahman, a civil engineering student, said, "Due to the pressure from a powerful group representing diploma degree holders, BSc engineers have long been deprived of fair recruitment and promotion opportunities. They have monopolised the 10th grade in government jobs and are even being promoted directly to the 9th grade with 33% or more reserved quotas. We have been protesting these irregularities for the past six months."

In addition to their previously announced three-point charter, protesters placed four new demands, which include the withdrawal of DMP Ramna Division Deputy Commissioner and other officers allegedly involved in the assault on engineering students in Dhaka's Shahbagh earlier today; an unconditional apology from the police force; and the issuance of an executive order to implement their initial three demands.