Employees at the Bangladesh Secretariat once again staged protests on Wednesday demanding complete repeal of the "Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025," which they claim opens the door to "authoritarian practices" and violates constitutional principles.
As announced earlier, workers from various ministries assembled in front of Building No 6 in the morning and marched to the new Cabinet Division building, where they held a brief rally.
Nazrul Islam, co-general secretary of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, said, "While the government pledges to eliminate discrimination and authoritarian practices, this ordinance creates scope for authoritarianism -- a direct contradiction of those commitments. It is a clear violation of the constitution and must not stand."
Despite the formation of a government review committee, employees remain firm in their demand; they want the ordinance repealed, not amended.
The government issued the ordinance on May 25 by amending the Public Service Act, 2018, allowing dismissal of public servants for administrative disruptions within 14 days and without departmental proceedings.
Prior to its issuance, employee leaders had urged the government to reconsider the move.However, their concerns were ignored, triggering continuous demonstrations inside the Secretariat in the run-up to the Eid holidays.
After a brief pause following Eid, protests resumed and have continued for three consecutive days.
Employees argue this provision particularly endangers lower-grade officials, as it offers no scope for thorough investigation or due process.
On June 4, the government formed a review committee led by Law Adviser Asif Nazrul, with Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid as members.
Three additional secretaries are assisting the panel. The committee held its first meeting on Monday and is reportedly planning to meet with employee representatives, though the date has yet to be confirmed.
