Dhaka: Protests among students in Bangladesh have intensified as the Technical Students' Movement, representing both public and private technical institutions, declared a nationwide shutdown of polytechnic institutes on Tuesday. This action is in response to their six-point demand aimed at reforming technical education.

Students have taken drastic measures, including locking administrative buildings to halt academic and administrative functions at their institutions.

At the Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, students rallied, chanting slogans in support of their demands while securing academic buildings, the principal's office, and the main entrance on Tuesday morning, as reported by local media.

A protesting student expressed frustration, stating, "We have received various assurances, yet no action has been taken to address our concerns. Consequently, we are compelled to initiate a shutdown program, which will see all academic and administrative activities come to a standstill."

The call for reform has been ongoing, with protests gaining momentum since April 16.

Last week, students blocked roads, highways, and railways across the nation, causing significant disruptions for local commuters.

In response to the protests, the Ministry of Education established a committee to create a roadmap for addressing the students' demands.

Although the students initially agreed to pause their protests on April 22, they reversed their decision the following day, opting to continue their demonstrations, according to bdnews24.

Md Rahel Rana Hawladar, a student from Dhaka Polytechnic Institute, stated, "Our respected director general initially acknowledged the validity of our six-point demands but later claimed that some were reasonable while others were not. This inconsistency has driven us back to the streets. We will not relent until our demands are met to improve the dire state of technical education."

Earlier this week, students across the country resumed their protests, urgently calling for action on their six-point agenda.

The six demands include the cancellation of a 30% promotion quota for craft instructors, the introduction of a standardized four-year curriculum, an age limit for admissions, and a gradual transition to English as the medium of instruction.

They also seek the implementation of reserved quotas for technical positions under Grade 10 and the establishment of a dedicated technical university for graduates of polytechnic and mono-technic programs.

These reforms are deemed crucial by the students to ensure merit-based recruitment, enhance technical education, and improve career opportunities within polytechnic institutes.

In a related development, another student protest emerged as agricultural diploma students initiated the "Agri Blockade" program, staging a sit-in at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Dhaka, demanding access to higher education along with eight additional key requests.

Bangladesh has recently experienced a rise in student protests under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, coinciding with a worsening law and order situation in the country.