Secretariat Employees Threaten Tough Movement After Eid

Staff Reporter

Demanding the cancellation of the Government Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers-Employees Unity Forum today submitted a memorandum to two advisers—Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan and Mahfuz Alam. Before submitting the memorandum, protesting employees held a demonstration at the Secretariat’s Badamtala area.

At the rally, leaders of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers-Employees Unity Forum warned that if the ordinance is not revoked, they will launch a tougher movement after Eid-ul-Azha. They called upon all government employees across the country, not just those at the Secretariat, to prepare for the movement.

After the rally, the employees went to submit the memorandum to Advisers Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan and Md. Mahfuz Alam, but both were absent from their offices. The protesting employees will now submit the memorandum to Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed and Law Adviser Asif Nazrul tomorrow.

At the protest rally, Unity Forum Co-Chairman Badiul Kabir said, “Not only the Secretariat, but employees across all government offices, agencies, and service providers are seething with anger. They condemn this black law and will remain on the streets until it is withdrawn.”

Addressing the interim government, Kabir warned, “If you mistake the employees’ peaceful and disciplined approach as weakness, it will backfire.” He issued a stern warning of intensified protests after Eid, asking the gathered employees, “If we call for a tougher movement after Eid, will you all be ready?” The employees responded with a resounding “Yes!”

Other speakers at the rally included Unity Forum Co-Chairman Muhammad Nurul Islam and Co-Secretary General Nazrul Islam.

On Sunday, protesting employees also submitted memorandums to Adviser for Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources, Road Transport and Bridges, and Railways Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan, as well as Adviser for Food and Land Ali Imam Majumder and Adviser for Environment, Forest, Climate Change, and Water Resources Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

After meeting with employee leaders, Adviser Muhammad Fawzul Kabir Khan told reporters, “There are concerns about potential misuse of some provisions in this ordinance. I have brought this to the attention of several advisers and will also raise it with the Chief Adviser. However, we need to consider what safeguards can be implemented to make it acceptable to employees while retaining the ordinance.”

Employee leaders present called the ordinance an “unconstitutional black law” and demanded its immediate repeal.

Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus returned from a visit to Japan last Saturday. The Cabinet Secretary will now discuss the matter with him. Employee leaders expressed hope for a positive response from the Chief Adviser.

The Government Employment (Amendment) Ordinance 2025 was approved in draft form during an Adviser Council meeting on May 22, amending the Government Employment Act 2018. Since then, Secretariat employees have been protesting, calling it a “repressive black law.” Despite the protests, the government officially issued the ordinance on the evening of May 25.

After four consecutive days of demonstrations demanding its cancellation, the employees modified their protest schedule when the government agreed to discuss the matter. Last Wednesday, they suspended their program for a day and observed a one-hour work abstention from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Thursday.