The Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Council staged a protest rally at the Secretariat for the second consecutive day on May 25, Sunday, opposing the draft of the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.
The organization demanded the complete withdrawal of what it described as a “repressive and black law”.
They also called for the introduction of rationing and Secretariat allowances for employees.
The protest and rally were led by the council’s President Md Badiul Kabir and General Secretary Nizam Uddin Ahmed.
From around 10am, employees from various ministries and departments of the Secretariat joined the protest with processions.
As time progressed, the number of participants grew, eventually causing space constraints at the venue.
On Saturday, union leaders, accompanied by general employees, gathered at the Secretariat seeking a meeting with the adviser on Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
During the visit, the employee representatives held discussions with the Legislative secretary.
The Legislative secretary informed them that the ordinance had been introduced by the Ministry of Public Administration and any decisions would be implemented in accordance with directives from the ministry.
However, he acknowledged that there was scope for reviewing and considering logical concerns raised by the employees.
Later, the leaders, along with employee representatives, met with the senior secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration.
The senior secretary assured them that steps would be taken to prevent the implementation of any repressive provisions of the law.
He clarified that the proposal initially came from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Upon hearing this, the leaders expressed their dissatisfaction and warned that general employees would not take responsibility for any actions taken without consultation with key stakeholders.
They insisted that meaningful engagement must precede any final decisions.
In response, the senior secretary assured the representatives that the ordinance would not be finalized without prior discussions with employees.
He further added that the additional secretary (Administration and Policy Division) and the head of the Administration Wing would work toward a logical and peaceful resolution through consultation with the employee council.
The employee leaders reaffirmed that their protest programs would continue until the complete withdrawal of the proposed ordinance.
