Secretariat staff to start daily 1-hr work abstention from tomorrow

Secretariat officials and employees have announced a daily one-hour work abstention starting tomorrow, demanding the repeal of the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.

The protest will be observed daily from 10am to 11am at the Secretariat, as well as at divisional commissioners' offices, deputy commissioners' offices, and other field-level government offices across the country.

The announcement was made at a press conference today by the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, the platform leading the protest. Forum leaders warned that if the ordinance is not withdrawn, new programmes will be announced after 31 May.

Terming the ordinance an "illegal black law," Badiul Kabir, co-chairman of the forum, said, "We have received a green signal regarding its full withdrawal. We hope the issue will be resolved satisfactorily through dialogue."

Demands to be placed before CA 

Secretaries in charge have conveyed the demands of protesting officials to Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid, urging the repeal of the Ordinance.

Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is currently on a state visit to Japan and is scheduled to return on 31 May.

"The cabinet secretary will inform the chief adviser of the employees' demands upon his return," said ASM Saleh Ahmed, senior secretary of the land ministry today.

The protests began on 24 May after the interim government's Advisory Council approved the ordinance on 23 May. It was officially issued on 25 May.