Students of Noakhali Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) boycotted classes and exams today, staging a sit-in on the campus to press home their eight-point demands.
The programme began at 10:00am on the institute premises.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. The students said they would continue the boycott until their demands are met.
Noakhali Deputy Commissioner (DC) Khandaker Istiak Ahmed confirmed the matter.
The demands include allowing diploma agriculturists to pursue higher education in public agricultural universities; granting second-class status to deputy assistant agricultural officers with a formal gazette notification; addressing teacher shortages to improve education quality; separating agricultural diploma education from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and bringing it under a dedicated wing of the agriculture ministry.
Other demands are reserving the post of assistant scientific officer in agricultural research institutes exclusively for diploma holders; ensuring at least a 10th grade pay scale for diploma holders in private jobs; providing field attachment allowances for students; and six months’ foundation training for sub-assistant agricultural officers upon joining service.
Raihan Uddin Shamim, central executive member of the Agricultural Diploma Students’ Rights Movement, said diploma students across the country are being deprived of fair opportunities, especially in higher education.
“In protest, we submitted memorandums to different ministries, held peaceful sit-ins and discussion meetings. But since no response has come from the government, we announced tougher programmes under the national platform of the Agricultural Diploma Students’ Rights Movement,” he added.
More than 500 students, including Noakhali ATI Vice President Raihan Khan and student representative Abdul Hannan Hridoy, participated in the protest.
Efforts to reach the institute’s acting principal, Kishore Kumar Majumder, for comment were unsuccessful as he did not respond to phone calls.
Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Istiak Ahmed acknowledged the protest and said students were advised not to take any action that might inconvenience the public. He, however, said no memorandum had yet been received regarding their demands.