Ordinance Row: Secretariat sees day 3 of demonstrations
Staff Reporter :
Hundreds of government employees from various ministries and divisions staged demonstrations inside the Secretariat for the third consecutive day on Monday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the “Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025”. The day’s protest was called off around 2:30 pm.
In continuation of their movement, the protesters also announced plans to hold a protest procession later in the day and urged government employees across the country to organise similar demonstrations at their respective offices.
The demonstrators declared that all associations representing Secretariat employees would now operate under a single platform-the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Oikya Forum-to coordinate and continue their protests.
Tuesday’s programme was announced at the foot of the new Cabinet Division and Ministry of Public Administration building by forum leaders at approximately 2:30 pm.
Md Badiul Kabir, co-chairman of the Oikya Forum and president of a faction of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Coordinated Council, said, “This movement will persist until this ‘black law’ is fully repealed. We are prepared to suspend our agitation immediately upon the ordinance’s withdrawal.”
He called upon all ministries and departments to join a procession and gather at Badamtola inside the Secretariat premises at 10:00 am on Tuesday.
A scheduled meeting between representatives of the forum and law adviser Asif Nazrul could not be held on Monday due to the adviser’s official engagements. Badiul Kabir stated that a new date would be announced in due course.
Muhammad Nurul Islam, co-chairman of the Oikya Forum and president of another faction of the Secretariat Coordinated Council, noted that employees across the country have expressed solidarity with the movement.
The draft of the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, which revises the Public Service Act of 2018, received approval during an advisory council meeting of the interim government last Thursday.
It was officially promulgated on Sunday, triggering discontent among public servants.
Protesting employees argue that the ordinance incorporates certain “repressive provisions” from special regulations introduced over four decades ago, alleging that these are inconsistent with constitutional guarantees. They have called for the ordinance’s immediate withdrawal.
On Sunday, employees from various ministries and departments held demonstrations within the Secretariat premises for a second consecutive day. The official issuance of the ordinance, despite growing protests, further fuelled their discontent.
On Monday morning, protestors again gathered at Badamtola from 11:00 am, marching through several areas of the Secretariat while calling for the ordinance to be scrapped. A rally was held, followed by a second procession that temporarily approached the Secretariat’s main entrance.
Several gates of the Secretariat, including the main gate, were briefly closed during the demonstration. Protestors later returned to Badamtola, where they concluded the day’s rally and announced the continuation of the movement.