Staff warns to paralyse secretariat

Government employees have warned that they will paralyse the secretariat if their demands are not met.

The vehicle movement through Gate No 1 suspended following the protest that began at 11AM on Monday.

A protest procession was brought out at 11AM by Badiul Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Coordinated Council, and Nizam Uddin Ahmed, its secretary general, from building no 6. Later other staff joined the procession.

The protesters demanded the cancellation of the contract of the secretary, who was appointed on a contractual basis.

Chanting various slogans, including ‘Illegal black law must be repealed’, ‘We do not accept this law’, ‘Unite and resist—18 lakh employees’, and ‘No compromise, only struggle’, protesters demanded the withdrawal of the newly promulgated ordinance.

Many employees from different ministries and departments abandoned their desks and joined the protest on the Secretariat premises. The number of participants continued to grow as the protests gained momentum.

The ordinance issued by the President on Sunday (May 25) evening allows the government to dismiss employees for four types of disciplinary breaches through a show-cause notice—without initiating formal departmental proceedings.