Government employees at the Bangladesh Secretariat continued their protests on Wednesday, demanding the complete withdrawal of the recently issued Public Service Ordinance.
The employees gathered at the Secretariat’s Badamtala area around 11:15 AM and staged protest marches around the complex.
Despite earlier calls from employee leaders for all ministries and departments to join the demonstration, attendance was notably lower compared to previous days.
Protesters chanted slogans such as “There is no place for discrimination in our golden Bengal,” “No compromise, only struggle,” and “The Secretariat has awakened.”
At a brief gathering in front of Building 6, Md. Nurul Islam, Co-Chairman of the Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, stated, “We demand a complete repeal of the ordinance. We will not accept any amendments or revisions. No official communication has been made by the government yet, despite the formation of a review committee.”
Nurul Islam also warned that if the government fails to withdraw the ordinance, they may escalate their movement with more severe programs than the previously planned divisional conferences.
The employees plan to hold a sit-in tomorrow in front of Building 4 and have announced further programs for Sunday.
The controversial ordinance, issued on May 25, allows dismissal of public servants for certain disciplinary breaches without departmental proceedings.
Protests have been ongoing since the draft stage, with employees staging unprecedented demonstrations and work stoppages at the Secretariat.
