Protesting Secretariat staff to submit memo to 5 advisers, announce suspension of work abstention

Protesting employees of the Bangladesh Secretariat have announced a halt to their daily one-hour work abstention - demanding the repeal of the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 -  for the next Sunday and Monday.

They are also planning to submit memoranda over their demand to five advisers.

Md Nurul Islam, co-chairman of Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, the platform leading the protest, made the announcement at a press briefing after observing a one-hour work abstention as per their yesterday's announcement from 10am to 11am at the Secretariat and divisional offices today (29 May).

Speaking at the press briefing at the Secretariat's central library, he said, "Whatever the discussion, we have to have a time frame. We won't wait forever. We have four days before Eid. I heard that the chief adviser will come to the country next Saturday. In that case, we should get some promising news on Sunday. Even then, we have not withdrawn from the movement, and we will not withdraw."

"If the ordinance gets implemented, then uniform policies will be imposed on us. I hope that the cabinet secretary, the public administration secretary and other relevant secretaries will discuss with the chief adviser after he returns to the country and give us a good result. We will be expecting that," he added.

He said, "A memorandum will be submitted to Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder, Energy Adviser Fauzul Kabir Khan and Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Sunday demanding the repeal of the ordinance. On Monday, a memorandum will be given to Local Government Adviser Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan and Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam."

On the other hand, he also said that a memorandum will be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary through the heads of institutions and organisations at the field level.

Nurul also announced that if they get any positive news regarding their demands next Sunday, they will withdraw all programmes and celebrate Eid with a good result.

Earlier yesterday (29 May), the forum announced that from today, the protesters will observe a one-hour work abstention daily till their demands are fulfilled.

Forum leaders warned that if the ordinance is not withdrawn, new programmes will be announced after 31 May.

The protests began on 24 May after the interim government's Advisory Council approved the Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 on 23 May, allowing dismissal of civil servants by simply issuing a show cause notice without filing a departmental case for four types of disciplinary offences.

Amid the protest, the ordinance was officially issued on 25 May.

Meanwhile, amid the protest, the government yesterday decided to ban visitors from entering the Bangladesh Secretariat on Mondays and Thursdays each week for an indefinite period.

Visitors were previously restricted from entering the Secretariat only on Mondays.