Employees of the Finance Division staged a protest at the Bangladesh Secretariat for a second consecutive day on Thursday, demanding the removal of a joint secretary over allegations of misconduct.
They are also calling for the promotion of administrative officers and personal officers to the ranks of assistant secretary and senior assistant secretary.
On Thursday morning, several hundred employees gathered for a demonstration at "Badam Tala," the area between buildings 3, 6, and 7 of the Secretariat.
Under the banner of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Joint Council, the protesters accused Dr Nadira Sultana, joint secretary of the Finance Division, of "inciting disorder at the Secretariat" and treating employees "inhumanely, discourteously, and aggressively."
On Tuesday afternoon, they submitted a written complaint to the senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, demanding punitive action against Dr Sultana. This has since led to continuous protests on Wednesday and Thursday.
At Thursday’s rally, presided over by the council’s president, Mohammad Towaha, speakers emphasized that the government stands against discrimination, expressing confidence that their demands would also be met fairly.
One protester alleged that some media outlets are misrepresenting their movement to the public. He warned those outlets to refrain from publishing such reports, threatening to declare them unwelcome if the practice continues.
The protesters presented a nine-point demand, including the reduction of the current 20 pay grades to 10 to address long-standing salary disparities. They warned of further demonstrations if their demands are not met within a week.
The employees also claimed that promotions for non-cadre employees have been obstructed by certain officials in the Ministry of Finance, including Dr Nadira Sultana. They accused these officials of inappropriate behavior and retaliating against employees advocating for promotions.
The protests have disrupted most activities at the Secretariat. It was learned that Dr Nadira Sultana is currently on medical leave.
On Tuesday afternoon, one employee Ziaur Rahman, and others approached Dr Sultana to obtain her signature. Allegedly, she behaved inappropriately, causing Ziaur to fall ill.
He was subsequently taken to the Secretariat clinic. His condition is now stable.
