Protest postponed for one day, secretaries to inform cabinet secy of employees' demands Wednesday

The secretaries in charge will present the demands of the employees regarding the repeal of the "Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025" to the cabinet secretary tomorrow, Wednesday.

Following the development, the protesting employees have decided to postpone the demonstrations for a day, tomorrow.

The leaders of the protesters sat in a meeting with secretaries in charge, including senior land ministry secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed, today, Tuesday.

Following the meeting, land secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed told the newspersons that they were given charge by the cabinet secretary to speak to the protesters. Following that, they spoke to the protesters and learned their demands. They are going to inform the cabinet secretary about the demands tomorrow. There will be no protest until then.

Nurul Islam, co-chairman of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers-Employees Oikya (unity) Forum and president of a section of the Secretariat Officers-Employees United Council told the newspersons that they would not hold any demonstrations tomorrow, Wednesday.

The draft of the ‘Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025’, a revision of the ‘Public Service Act, 2018’, was approved during an advisory council meeting of the interim government last Thursday.

Later, the ordinance was officially issued this Sunday. Protesting employees have alleged that the ordinance includes certain ‘repressive provisions’ from a special regulation introduced four and a half decades ago. They labelled the ordinance conflicting to the constitution demanding its withdrawal.

On Sunday, employees from different ministries and departments staged a demonstration inside the secretariat premises for the second consecutive day, protesting against issuance of the ‘Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025’. However, the government issued the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025’ amid the protest at the secretariat, which further angered the protesters.