Bangladesh Secretariat, the administrative hub of the country, has almost come to a standstill as civil servants continue to stage demonstrations, demanding the scrapping of the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.
Government officials and employees have been staging protests at the Secretariat since Saturday with one-day break on Wednesday, seriously disrupting administrative activities.
Due to the ongoing protests by the public servants, people are being deprived of necessary services. Most of the government officials and employees are participating in the demonstrations at the Seretariart against the ordinance.
Senior Secretary of Land Ministry ASM Saleh Ahmed told the media on Wednesday that a final decision on the ordinance will be made upon the return of Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus from Japan. The matter has already been brought to the attention of the Cabinet Secretary, and there has been discussions in this regard, he said. The Cabinet Secretary does not hold the authority to repeal the ordinance, ASM Saleh Ahmed said, adding the issue will be raised to the Chief Adviser upon his return from Tokyo on May 31.
Civil servants had suspended their protests for Wednesday after a meeting with three secretaries held on Tuesday. In response to the unrest at the Secretariat, Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) restricted visitors entry to the Secretariat.
Due to the ongoing protests by
the public servants, people are
being deprived of necessary
services as administrative work
remains suspended
On the otherhand, several associations of current and retired public servants have taken to the streets, demanding reforms, removal of anti-reform bureaucrats and a rollback of policies perceived as discriminatory. The associations include Discrimination Elimination Forum for Retired Officers (Additional Secretary) and Anti-Discrimination Employee Unity Forum. They demand immediate removal of politically-appointed officials.
Discontent is also brewing up over the government’s recent decision to draft a unified recruitment policy for non-cadre officials and the controversial ordinance dissolving the National Board of Revenue (NBR). NBR officials have already announced a full-fledged strike, demanding the repeal of the ordinance that splits the board into two divisions.
Moreover, Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council, representing officers from 25 cadres (excluding the administration cadre), has long been demanding an end to quota-based promotions and the implementation of fair and merit-based promotion.
A major reason for contention is the inclusion of a clause in the amendment that allows the summary dismissal of public servants without following due process. Protesters argue that this is unconstitutional and may be used to stifle dissent within the civil service.
The protesting civil servants warn that failure to meet their demands could paralyze government functions and worsen the situation further.
We believe that the interim government will resolve the ongoing crisis soon in the greater interest of the country. A prompt and fair solution to the crisis is crucial to restoring order in the country’s administrative hub.
