The government employees at the secretariat in the capital Dhaka will observe a one-hour work stoppage every day starting today, demanding the cancellation of newly promulgated Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 that allows dismissal of public servants for misconduct in an easier way.
There was no demonstration at the secretariat on Wednesday as the employees, who had demonstrated since Saturday against the ordinance, suspended their movement for the day.
Besides, officers from 25 cadres outside the administration cadre of the Bangladesh Civil Service on Wednesday concluded a two-day pen-down protest against the dominance of the administration cadre over the other cadres in terms of promotion, facilities and status, and the suspension of departmental actions against 12 officers from the 25 cadres.
They, however, vowed to announce tougher movement soon to realise their demands.
Leaders of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum at a press briefing at the secretariat on Wednesday announced that they would observe a one-hour work stoppage from 10am to 11am every day.
The forum also called on employees at field-level offices, including divisional commissioner and deputy commissioner offices across the country, to observe the one-hour work stoppage.
The platform leaders also said that if their demand for cancelling the new ordinance was not met, a new phase of their movement would begin after May 31.
Terming the ordinance 鈥榖lack law鈥�, Badiul Kabir, co-chairman of the forum, said that they made the decision of the one-hour work stoppage instead of a full-day protest considering various upcoming events such as Eid-ul-Azha, a Muslim religious festival to be celebrated in the country on June 7, and the national budget to be announced on June 2.
To minimise disruption of essential services, Kabir urged those involved in critical operations 鈥� such as budget preparations and hospital care 鈥� to restrict their participation in the one-hour stoppage to no more than 30 minutes.
Earlier in the day, a delegation of secretaries, led by land ministry senior secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed, met with cabinet secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid to convey the employees鈥� demand for the withdrawal of the ordinance.
After the meeting with the cabinet secretary, ASM Saleh Ahmed told reporters that the previous day鈥檚 discussions between the government employees and the delegation of secretaries were brought to the cabinet secretary鈥檚 attention.
He said that the cabinet secretary was expected to bring the matter to the attention of chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus after his return from Japan. He is expected to return on May 31.
Earlier, on Tuesday, six secretaries led by ASM Saleh Ahmed held a meeting with the leaders of the employees amid protest of the government employees at the secretariat.
After the meeting, Saleh said that the demands would be conveyed to the cabinet secretary on Wednesday for taking next course of action.
Later, the leaders of the protesting employees suspended their movement for Wednesday.
The interim government on Sunday promulgated the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 in a gazette, introducing stricter disciplinary measures for government employees.
It was approved earlier on May 22 at a meeting of the advisory council. The ordinance amends the Government Service Act 2018 by introducing a provision that lists activities considered 鈥榤isconduct鈥�.
The ordinance allows dismissal of public servants for 鈥榓dministrative disruptions鈥� within 14 days and without departmental proceedings.
Under the amendment, employees can now be dismissed with only a notice for four types of offences 鈥� disrupting discipline, obstructing duties, unauthorised absence, or inciting others not to carry out their duties.
The officers from 25 cadres outside the administration cadre held a two-day pen-down protest with half-day work abstention staged under the banner of the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council between 9:00am and 12:00noon in different government offices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Departments providing emergency services were out of the purview of the strike.
On Wednesday in the Dhaka city, officials at different government offices, including the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Department of Livestock Services, Krishibid Institution Bangladesh and Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, were seen abstaining from work.聽
Since the Public Administration Reform Commission disclosed its draft recommendations on December 17, 2024, civil servants under the administration cadre and the rest 25 cadres stood at loggerheads, demanding their fair shares in the government administration jobs.
The reform commission recommends reserving 50 per cent quota only for the administration cadre officers aspiring for deputy secretary posts, which the protesting 25-cadre officers have disproved.
Council members also alleged that 12 officers from the 25 cadres were recently suspended over a 鈥榯rifling鈥� matter of involving in a row with administration cadre officers on Facebook.
They also alleged that the reform commission was biased towards the administration cadre.
The reform commission submitted the final report, ignoring the suggestions and demands of the other cadres, they also alleged.
Earlier in May, the council held a human chain at the Central Shaheed Minar in the Dhaka city in which they had warned that they would stage a half-day strike in May 27鈥�28 if their demands remained unmet by May 26.
The council observed similar protests in December 2024 and March 2025.
