Dhaka, May 27 (UNB) – As the countrywide unrest by polytechnic students goes on over the status of diploma engineers, the government on Sunday said the status of diploma engineers has not been changed.   

Briefing reporters after an inter-ministerial meeting, Education Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury on Sunday termed false and baseless the rumour that the status of diploma engineers had been downgraded.

He assured the polytechnic students that government did not downgrade the status of diploma engineers and neither has any plan to do that in the future.

The students were asked not to be misled by any rumour over the matter.  

The inter-ministerial meeting was held at the Education Ministry with Education Secretary in the chair in the wake of recent countrywide unrest by the polytechnic students.  

Sunday’s meeting formed two committees -- one for solving professional and other for educational problems of the polytechnic students.

Housing and Public Works Secretary Dr Khandaker Shawkat Hossain will lead the committee on solving professional problems while Additional Secretary of Education Ministry Iqbal Khan Chowdhury will head another committee on solving educational problems.

The two committees have been asked to submit their reports within one month.

The government will take steps for resolving the problems of polytechnic students after receiving the reports by two committees, said the Education Secretary.

Earlier, the government formed a three-member committee to unearth the reasons behind the countrywide unrest by the polytechnic students. Stringent measures will be taken against those to be found responsible for the incident, said Naser Chowdhury.

AKMA Hamid, president of the Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh, general secretary Mohammad Shamsur Rahman and concerned officials attended the today’s meeting.