Secretariat staff continue protests seeking ordinance withdrawal
The demonstration, led by the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum - a coalition of various Secretariat-based staff organisations, resumed today
Secretariat employees today (19 June) staged fresh protests again, demanding immediate repeal of the Public Service Ordinance, threatening a tougher action programme if their demands are not met.
The employees gathered beneath the buildings of the Cabinet Division and the public administration ministry, chanting slogans and rallying against the ordinance.
They later marched through the Secretariat building premises in protest.
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Speaking at the demonstration, Nurul Islam, co-chairman of the Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, said, "The movement will continue until the ordinance is fully repealed."
Earlier, the draft of the ordinance was approved at an Advisory Council meeting on 22 May, which allows dismissal of government employees for four types of disciplinary violations based solely on a show-cause notice, without any formal departmental proceedings.
The ordinance was formally issued on 25 May.
During the days leading up to the ordinance's issuance, secretariat employees had already staged demonstrations, work stoppages, and sit-in programmes and submitted memorandums to several advisers, urging the government to reconsider.
The government employees have been protesting the ordinance since 24 May.
