As part of the previously announced ‘Long March to Dhaka’ programme, a chase and counter-chase took place between police and engineering students on Wednesday (27 August) around 1:45 pm, while the students were heading from Shahbagh to the Chief Adviser’s residence at Jamuna, pressing three demands.

When the students attempted to advance after breaking through a police barricade in front of Hotel Intercontinental, the police dispersed them. During the clash, several rounds of tear gas and sound grenades were fired, injuring a few students.

Earlier, at around 11 am, the students had begun their protest by staging a sit-in at Shahbagh intersection. They set out toward Jamuna at 1:40 pm, which resulted in the closure of Shahbagh and surrounding roads, causing severe traffic congestion.

The students’ demands include: discontinuing the use of the title “Engineer” before the names of diploma engineers, refraining from promoting diploma engineers to the ninth grade, and providing undergraduate engineers opportunities for tenth-grade positions.

Meanwhile, Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, said that if the protesting students submit their demands through the relevant ministry, the secretary committee will resolve the issues. He made this remark on Wednesday while responding to journalists at the Secretariat.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the students had staged a five-hour sit-in at Shahbagh.