Engineering Sector: Buet students demand merit-based promotion

A group of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) students staged a sit-in yesterday, demanding a recruitment test for promotions to assistant engineer or equivalent positions, alongside direct entry, and eligibility restricted to BSc engineering degree holders.

At a press briefing on the campus, they said sub-assistant engineers (10th grade) with diplomas are often promoted to 9th-grade assistant engineers through internal quotas, reducing entry-level opportunities for BSc graduates.

They alleged this violates rules allowing only 33% promotion per vacancy, yet nearly 100% are filled through promotion.

The protest, held in front of the registrar's building, included a three-point demand. Students also urged the state to open 10th-grade technical posts to both diploma and BSc engineering graduates.

Citing the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework (BNFQ), they noted that a BSc degree ranks higher (level six) than a diploma (level seven), questioning why BSc holders are ineligible for sub-assistant engineer posts.

They also called for a law and gazette notification reserving the title "engineer" for BSc engineering graduates only.