By: Md. Amdad Hossain Bhuiyan
Demanding the withdrawal of the High Court directive to place vocational and polytechnic graduates in the same grade, as well as the immediate transfer of all controversially recruited Craft Instructors of 2021 from the Directorate of Technical Education and all institutions, students of Sylhet Polytechnic Institute blocked roads and staged protests on Thursday with a 6-point demand.
On Thursday afternoon, students of Sylhet Polytechnic Institute boycotted classes and exams and staged protests at the Bandar Bazar area of the city. This caused significant traffic congestion on both sides of the road. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, after which they called off the protest based on assurances from Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Hossain Md. Al-Zunaid.
Protesting students said, “After completing a 4-year diploma, we receive jobs in the 10th grade. However, it is unfair for vocational students to get 10th-grade jobs after completing SSC and HSC. We have taken to the streets with a 6-point demand. We have issued a 48-hour ultimatum to meet our demands. If our demands are not met within this time, we will initiate stricter actions.”
Hossain Md. Al-Zunaid, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) of Sylhet, said, “We have received the memorandum from the students. As this issue cannot be resolved at the district level, we will forward their memorandum to the relevant department today.”
