No BUET admission test before meeting 5-point demand: Protesters

Demonstrating students called on the BUET (Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology) authorities not to hold the admission test for the session 2019-20 before meeting their 5-point demand.

The admission test for the session 2019-20 is scheduled to be held on 14 October.

The protesting students also announced their movement would continue until their 10-point demand is met.

The students held a discussion with the BUET vice chancellor professor Saiful Islam at the university auditorium on Friday afternoon. The vice chancellor assured the students that their demands would be met, but could not reach in a consensus over the date of admission test examination.

The BUET administration put emphasis on arranging the exam on the stipulated date but the students called for a postponement until their demands were met.

The students organised a press conference on the premises of BUET Shaheed Minar around 10:45pm on Friday to clarify their position.

“Our demonstration to press home our 10-point demand will continue. But in consideration of the requests of the vice chancellor, and the candidates who are preparing for the BUET admission tests across the country, we have floated a 5-point demand that can be met within a short time. We’ll agree with the BUET administration if the demands are met,” said Mahmudur Rahman, a student of 15th batch of BUET, on behalf of the demonstrating students.

The demands are:

1. Those involved in the murder must be suspended from the university immediately and the BUET administration has to issue a notice saying those mentioned in the charge sheet will be expelled for life.

2. The notice must mention that the BUET administration will bear all the expenses of Abrar murder case and will compensate his family.

3. Non-students and illegal occupants of residential halls will have to be ousted, banning organisational student politics on BUET campus. Offices of political parties on the campus must be sealed.

4. A common platform has to be included in the BIIS account to lodge complaints of torture the students faced earlier. A committee has to be formed to monitor it and bring perpetrators to book.

5. A notice has to be issued saying CCTV cameras will be installed at both ends of every wing of every floor of the residential halls and the footage has to be monitored regularly.