Staff Reporter :
Government employees on Sunday declared they would not return to work unless the draft Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 is withdrawn.
For the second consecutive day, the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Joint Council staged a large-scale demonstration within the Secretariat premises, demanding immediate withdrawal of what they termed a “regressive and black law.”
Hundreds of employees were seen walking out of their offices on Sunday morning to join a proces sion that moved through various areas inside the Secretariat. Protesters chanted slogans, voicing strong opposition to the proposed amendments.
The controversy stems from the interim government’s Advisory Council’s approval of the draft ordinance last Thursday.
The amendment seeks to revise the Public Service Act, 2018, allegedly incorporating several contentious provisions rooted in outdated disciplinary frameworks dating back over four decades.
According to officials and employees, the proposed changes would enable the government to take disciplinary actions-including dismissal-more easily, which they say undermines job security and violates constitutional protections.
Md Badiul Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees United Council, addressed the rally at the Secretariat’s main entrance.
“We will resist the ill intent behind this ordinance as it is repressive in nature,” he stated. “We will not return to our duties unless the ordinance is withdrawn. Our sit-in protest will continue at Badamtola in front of Building No. 6.”
The council further warned of an escalation, threatening to close all Secretariat gates and paralyse administrative operations if their demands are not met.
“We have already spoken to several advisers and secretaries regarding this issue, but no one has provided any assurance. We have been compelled to take to the streets,” a council representative said.
As tensions rise within the administrative core of the government, calls for the reconsideration of the ordinance continue to mount, with employees urging the interim administration to consult stakeholders and uphold constitutional standards.
