Officers from 25 cadres outside the administration cadre of Bangladesh Civil Service on Tuesday resumed their movement protesting at the dominance of the administration cadre and the suspension of and departmental actions against 12 officers from the 25 cadres.
The officers, addressing a human chain at the Central Shaheed Minar premises in Dhaka, threatened to observe half-day work abstention in government offices across the country on May 27 and May 28 if their demands would not be met by May 26.
Since the Public Administration Reform Commission disclosed its draft recommendations on December 17, civil servants under the administration cadre and the rest 25 cadres have faced off against each other, demanding their fair shares in the administrative services.
The commission recommended that 50 per cent quota should be reserved for the non-administration cadre officers aspiring for deputy secretary posts, which the protesting 25-cadre officers have refuted.
Under the banner of Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council, a group of protesting cadres held a human chain at the Shaheed Minar premises between around 5:00pm and around 6:30pm on Tuesday.
They were seen protesting amid rain.
The council members mentioned that 12 officers from the officers of 25 cadres were suspended recently for a 鈥榯rifling鈥� cause that they had argued with administration cadre officers on Facebook.
Instead of solving the matter, departmental actions were taken against some of them, they said.
They also alleged that the reform commission was biased towards the administration cadre.
The commission had submitted the final report ignoring the suggestions and demands of the other cadres for the posting of the officers in the public offices according to their expertise and the cancellation of the quota system for deputy secretary posts, they added.
The council convener Mohammad Omar Faruque Dewan said that they were giving the authorities concerned an ultimatum till May 26 to meet their demands for cadre-based ministry positions, merit-based promotion to deputy secretary and higher ranks, and equality for all cadres in the civil service.
鈥榃e will stage work abstention between 9:00am and 1:00pm on May 27 and May 28,鈥� he said.
He added that they would remain present at their workplaces during the work abstention. 聽
The council observed similar protests in December 2024 and March this year.
