Secretariat staff protest for withdrawal of revised public service ordinance

Government officials and employees have launched a protest inside the Secretariat, demanding the withdrawal of the "Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025".

The demonstration started at 9:00am on Sunday, when officers and staff began gathering in front of building No. 6 at the Secretariat. At one point, they marched through parts of the government's administrative headquarters as part of their protest.

Although the protest march paused during the prayer break at noon, employees continued to gather and form crowds in front of various departments.

Around 2:30pm, a delegation from the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Coordinated Council, the platform leading the protests, held a meeting with Housing and Public Works Advisor Adilur Rahman Khan.

Protesters say the proposed ordinance creates opportunities to punish or even dismiss government officials more easily, raising concerns over its potential misuse.

The law would apply to all government staff, from 20th grade employees up to first-class officers. However, non-cadre staff are expected to be the most affected.

Commenting on the protest, Home Affairs Advisor Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the erstwhile Awami League government had amended the Public Service Act in 2018 to "manipulate" the election process. Now, the interim government is making the necessary changes to the law to redress the issue, according to him.

However, if employees have concerns, those can be discussed and resolved through dialogue, he added.

Officials and employees had also staged demonstrations on Saturday, a designated special working day.

Earlier, on May 22, the Advisory Council approved a proposal to issue the amendment to the Public Service Act in the form of an ordinance. Once the president gives formal approval, it will be officially enacted.