Officials of different cadres call human chain in protest of disciplinary action for social media posts

The Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council has announced a human chain protest demanding the withdrawal of punitive actions taken against 12 officers of various cadres within the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) and calling for the elimination of inter-cadre discrimination.

According to a press release issued by the council, the protest will be held around 5:30pm today (20 May) at the premises of the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka. Leaders of the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council and officials from multiple cadres are expected to participate in the event.

In the press release signed by the council's coordinator, Mohammad Omar Faruq Dewan, it was stated that the organisation has been actively working to eliminate deep-rooted discrimination among the various BCS cadres. The council's activities have focused on three core demands - "Each ministry will be controlled by it's cadres only," "Abolition of quota-based promotion to the post of deputy secretary," and "Equal treatment across all cadres."

Recently, 12 officers from 25 different cadres have been temporarily suspended due to their posts on social media, reads the release. Additionally, departmental actions are underway against several others. However, the statement alleges that officers from the administration cadre have not faced any disciplinary action despite engaging in activities that violate government rules and regulations.

In light of these alleged discriminatory practices by the administration cadre and in support of the council's three main demands, the Inter-Cadre Disparity Elimination Council has organised the protest.

A member of the council remarked, "The punitive actions taken against the concerned officers must be reconsidered. Otherwise, we will be compelled to announce more stringent programmes in the future."