Secretariat employees announce new programme for Sunday and Monday

Employees from various ministries and departments at the secretariat observed a one-hour work abstention from 10:00 am today, Thursday, demanding the withdrawal of the ‘Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025’.

Following the work abstention, a new programme of submitting memorandum to five advisers of the interim government has been announced for this Sunday and Monday.

Leaders of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum had announced Wednesday that the employees at the Secretariat would observe a one-hour work abstention every day until their demands are met. In accordance, a one-hour work abstention was held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am today.

At the end of today’s work abstention, co-chairmen of the unity forum, Badiul Kabir and Md Nurul Islam, along with co-general secretary Nazrul Islam, briefed journalists at the secretariat central library, located in the ministry of public administration, regarding their next course of action along with their new protest programmes.

Leaders of the unity forum stated that there would be no one-hour work abstention on the coming Sunday and Monday. Instead, they will hand over memorandums to three advisers of the interim government, Ali Imam Majumder, Fouzul Kabir Khan, and Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

Then on Monday, memorandums will be submitted to two other advisers, Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan and Mahfuj Alam. Memorandums will be submitted at the field level through heads of various agencies and institutions as well, they added.

Chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus is currently on a visit to Japan. Leaders of the unity forum hope that there might be some ‘good news’ once the chief adviser returns, and they are optimistic about celebrating Eid-ul-Azha with that positive development.

Last Thursday, in a meeting of the Interim Government’s Advisory Council, the draft of the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, was approved by amending the Public Service Act, 2018. Following that decision, employees from various ministries and divisions began protesting against the ordinance.

The protests began after the advisory council of the interim government, in a meeting on 22 May, approved a draft of the ‘Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025’, amending the Government Service Act, 2018. Since then, employees from different ministries and departments have been demonstrating in opposition of the ordinance.

Despite the protests, the government officially issued the ordinance on the evening of 25 May. Secretariat employees have been demonstrating against it since 24 May, calling for its immediate withdrawal.