Md. Muradul Hasan, Deputy Director (Administration) of the Department of Agricultural Extension, spoke to Samakal in front of Khamarbari. He stated that the Ministry of Agriculture has already accepted most of the demands of the protesting students. However, he alleged that they are continuing the movement at the instigation of others. He added that despite their offer of discussion, the students are unwilling to engage.
Meanwhile, a large number of law enforcement personnel were seen in front of Khamarbari to maintain order. The protesting students stated that they have been agitating for a long time with eight demands, including the opportunity for higher education.
Raihan Uddin Shamim, a leading student involved in the protest, told Samakal, "We do not have the opportunity for higher education. After passing the diploma, we have to pursue a bachelor's degree in private universities. The Ministry of Education is supposed to fulfill this demand, but they are delaying it."
In Bangladesh, there are 18 government agricultural training institutes and 260 private agricultural colleges that offer a 4-year diploma course in agriculture, aiming to create skilled manpower in the agricultural sector. The total number of students in these public and private institutions is approximately 25,000.
The demands of the protesting students are:
- Diploma agriculturalists must be given the opportunity to pursue higher education in public agricultural universities.
- The Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer must be gazetted as a second-class employee, and a notification must be issued. The continuity of recruitment must be maintained every year.
- To improve the quality of agricultural diploma education, the teacher shortage must be resolved.
- Agricultural diploma education must be separated from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and placed under a completely separate institution of the Ministry of Agriculture.
- The Assistant Scientific Officer post in all agricultural research institutes must be reserved exclusively for diploma agriculturalists.
- Diploma agriculturalists must be paid a minimum salary on the tenth grade pay scale in private jobs.
- Agricultural diploma students must be provided with field attachment allowances, and Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officers must undergo a six-month foundation training after joining their jobs.
Those interested in becoming foreign, district, and university correspondent for Agri24.tv are requested to send their CVs and news to agri24.tv@gmail.com
