BUET Students Face Police Baton Charge, Tear Gas in Long March to Jamuna Near InterContinental
Engineering students, led by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), were met with baton charges and tear gas by police near the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka on Wednesday during their “Long March to Dhaka” toward Jamuna, the official residence of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser. The clash erupted as students attempted to breach police barricades in a restricted zone, escalating tensions during their protest to press a three-point demand.
The march, which began at Shahbagh around 10 a.m., saw engineering students from across the country unite in solidarity. Their demands include prohibiting diploma engineers from using the “engineer” title, barring their promotion to ninth-grade positions, and ensuring BSc engineers have access to tenth-grade (sub-assistant engineer) jobs alongside diploma holders. During the demonstration, protesters chanted a series of slogans demanding an end to the quota system. Their voices rang out with calls such as “No compromise, only fight — fight, fight, fight!”, “Quota’s no way, only merit — merit, merit, merit!”, and “One voice, one demand — diplomas are technicians!”. They further pressed their demand with chants like “End the unfair diploma quota rule!”, “Stop injustice in the name of quota!”, and “Break the quota chain, give merit rights again!”.
The program was announced late Tuesday by Wali Ullah, president of the “Engineer Rights Movement,” after a five-hour blockade of Shahbagh that ended around 8 p.m. Wali called for nationwide participation from engineering students, stating, “This movement is not against anyone. Our aim is to eliminate irregularities and bring reform to the engineering sector.”
Tensions flared when the students reached the Hotel InterContinental, a restricted area under a Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) ban on gatherings near Jamuna and the Bangladesh Secretariat, in place since 13 March 2025. As students tried to push through barricades, police responded with baton charges, multiple rounds of tear gas, and sound grenades, dispersing the crowd and causing traffic disruptions. Eyewitnesses described chaotic scenes with students chanting amidst clouds of tear gas. No immediate reports confirmed injuries or arrests, but the forceful response drew widespread criticism.
A demonstrator said, “We were marching peacefully for our rightful demands, but the police attacked us with batons and tear gas without provocation. This is an attempt to silence our voices like the previous fascist regime.”
The DMP’s restrictions, enforced under Section 29 of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police Ordinance, were imposed after earlier protests on 11 March 2025. No official police statement has been released, but the use of batons and tear gas has sparked outrage on social media, with many questioning the response to peaceful protests. The students remain determined to continue their movement until their demands are met. An investigation into the clash is anticipated, with updates expected from BUET and DMP authorities.
