Protest at SecretariatCabinet Secretary to inform CA of employees’ demands

Cabinet Secretary Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid will inform Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus of the demands raised by government officials and employees protesting the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.

Land Ministry Senior Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed, who is also the convener of the secretary-level committee formed to resolve the ongoing crisis at the Secretariat, disclosed the matter to journalists following a meeting with the cabinet secretary on Wednesday.

He said, “The concerns and demands raised by employees during Tuesday’s meeting had been conveyed to the cabinet secretary. In response, the cabinet secretary said the chief adviser is scheduled to return from Japan on 31 May, after which he will be briefed on the matter in the presence of the committee members.”

The cabinet secretary assured that the chief adviser’s decision would guide the next course of action. “We too are government employees. Since this is a policy-level matter, a final decision must come from the highest level of the government,” the land secretary quoted him as saying.

Earlier, the meeting with protesting officers and employees was held at 2:45 pm on Tuesday at the conference room of the Land Ministry, with Land Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed in the chair. Secretaries of the Local Government and Housing and Public Works ministries also attended the meeting on behalf of the government.

Meanwhile, the protesting officials and staff at the Secretariat have announced a fresh programme to press home their demand for scrapping the ordinance.

Until the chief adviser returns from Japan, they will observe a one-hour daily work stoppage. Besides, they plan to submit memorandums to three government advisers and a secretary.

The announcement was made at 2:00 pm on Wednesday by Nurul Islam, President of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees United Council and Co-chairman of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum.

The demonstrators have termed the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 as “repressive and a black law” and warned of continuing their movement if their demands are not met.