Officials of 25 Cadres Nationwide Stage Unique Protest with Pen Strike

Staff Reporter

Officials from 25 cadres across the country participated in a unified pen strike, organized by the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Eradication Council. The protest took place on December 24, Tuesday, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, in government offices across the country, excluding those of the administration cadre.

The pen strike was a protest against the proposed decisions of the Public Administration Reform Commission. The commission had previously announced that 50% of the posts for the Deputy Secretary level would be reserved for the administration cadre, while the remaining 50% would be based on competitive exams for officials of the other 25 cadres. Additionally, the commission proposed separating the Education and Health cadres from the civil service.

In response, the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Eradication Council has planned a series of actions, including a human chain on December 26 and a rally in Dhaka on January 4. The council has expressed strong opposition to these decisions, claiming that no discussions were held with them before the recommendations were made. They have indicated that larger actions will follow as part of their ongoing protest movement.

Mohammad Mofijur Rahman, coordinator of the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Eradication Council, stated that all cadre associations had instructed their members to participate in this protest.