Government employees at the Secretariat announced on Monday they will continue demonstrations on Tuesday, demanding immediate withdrawal of the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025. They also called upon government employees nationwide to join solidarity protests.
The employees postponed Monday’s scheduled agitation, anticipating a meeting with the law adviser at 2pm, which ultimately did not take place. Moving forward, protests will be organised under the banner of “Bangladesh Secretariat Officers Employees Oikya Forum.”
For the third consecutive day on Monday, employees from various ministries and departments demonstrated on Secretariat premises. The protest, led by Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Coordinated Council President Md Badiul Kabir and Secretary General Nizam Uddin Ahmed, commenced around 10:45am. By 11:00am, another faction of the council led by Md Nurul Islam and Mujahidul Islam joined the demonstration.
Chanting slogans including “We reject this law,” “Unite and resist – 18 lakh employees,” and “No compromise, only struggle,” protesters demanded cancellation of the ordinance. Numerous employees left their workstations to join the demonstration.
The ordinance, promulgated by the president on Sunday evening, empowers the government to dismiss employees for four categories of disciplinary violations through show-cause notices without formal departmental proceedings. Secretariat employees have been protesting since the Council of Advisers approved the draft law on May 22, denouncing it as unjust and unconstitutional.
On Sunday, all employee organisations at the Secretariat pledged to sustain their movement until the ordinance is withdrawn.