Staff Reporter :
Former armed forces employees, dismissed or forced into early retirement during the Hasina administration, held a protest in front of Jahangir Gate at Dhaka Cantonment on Sunday.
The demonstration led to significant traffic congestion, with a long queue of vehicles stretching from Jahangir Gate to Banani intersection and Farmgate. The protestors blocked the road around 11am, causing disruptions for people travelling to schools, colleges, and offices.
The protest ended around 1:15pm after the heads of the army, navy, and air force announced the formation of a committee within five working days to address the demands of the former personnel. Naimul Islam, Chief Coordinator of the protest group “Sohojoddha,” confirmed the announcement.
The demonstrators’ three main demands are reinstatement to their positions with full salary, allowances, and benefits from the time of dismissal, inclusion in the pension scheme with all government benefits for those who cannot be reinstated, reform of the legal and judicial systems that led to the dismissal of hundreds of armed forces members.
The formation of the committee was seen as a positive step towards addressing their grievances, leading to the peaceful conclusion of the protest.
