Govt officials to protest at Secretariat tomorrow demanding repeal of Public Service Act
The protest will begin at 10:30am at Badamtoli
Government officers and employees are set to stage a mass gathering at the Bangladesh Secretariat tomorrow (16 June), demanding the immediate repeal of the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance 2025.
The demonstration is being organised by the Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, which has also announced plans to submit memorandums to three advisers on home affairs, social welfare, and housing and public works following the protest.
Md Nurul Islam, co-chairman of the forum, told The Business Standard, "None from the ordinance review committee has contacted us. We have no idea what they are doing or what recommendations they will make.
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"Therefore, we are standing firm on our position. A new programme will be announced following tomorrow's gathering."
The protest will begin at 10:30am at Badamtoli, with participants demanding the ordinance's withdrawal, another forum leader said.
According to sources, the forum has sent messages to officers and employees urging them to join the mass gathering.
The message calls the ordinance "inhumane, unconstitutional, a violation of fundamental rights, and absurd", urging participation in the post-Eid demonstration to push for its repeal.
On 25 May, the government issued the amended ordinance, allowing for termination of public service employees without formal departmental proceedings — simply through a show-cause notice — for four types of disciplinary breaches.
Even before the ordinance was officially issued, Secretariat employees had already begun protesting to demand the withdrawal of its draft. After its enactment, they held demonstrations and rallies at the Secretariat premises and observed one-hour work stoppages.
Subsequently, they submitted memorandums to advisers.
Following discussions with leaders of the protesting employees, several secretaries, led by the land secretary, communicated their concerns to the cabinet secretary, who in turn informed the chief adviser.
Consequently, on 4 June, the government formed a review committee headed by the law adviser to evaluate the ordinance. However, no timeline was given for the committee to submit its recommendations.
