Protests at Bangladesh Secretariat Pause After High-Level Meeting

After four days of relentless demonstrations, officials and employees across various ministries and departments at the Bangladesh Secretariat have temporarily suspended their protests. This decision came following a high-level meeting held at the heart of the government’s administrative hub on Tuesday.

The protesters, who gathered for the fourth consecutive day, demanded the immediate withdrawal of the controversial “Public Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.” During the meeting, several secretaries engaged with the demonstrators, seeking an understanding of their concerns.

Following the discussions, ASM Saleh Ahmed, Senior Secretary at the Ministry of Land, briefed the media. “We have listened to the statement of the protesters. The cabinet secretary will be informed about the matter tomorrow morning. The top leadership of the government will also be briefed. Under the current circumstances, the employees will not hold any program on Wednesday,” he stated.

Md Badiul Kabir, co-chair of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, confirmed that the protest has been temporarily suspended for the day.

Earlier, the demonstrations brought all administrative activities within the secretariat to a halt. Security was tight as protesters gathered around 11 am near Building No 6, chanting slogans against what they called a “black law” and rejecting its legitimacy.

In a further show of force, the Home Ministry’s Public Security Division restricted all visitor entry to the secretariat on Tuesday. Additionally, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police imposed restrictions on rallies and gatherings in and around the secretariat area.

The new ordinance, issued by the president on Sunday evening, grants the government authority to dismiss employees for four categories of disciplinary violations through a show-cause notice, bypassing formal departmental procedures. The protests are centered around opposition to this sweeping change, which critics say undermines job security and due process.