United News of Bangladesh

Government officers and employees will observe a one-hour work abstention every day from Thursday (May 29) until the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 is repealed. The work abstention programme will be observed from 10 am to 11 am every day, said Badiul Kabir, Co-chairman of Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum while speaking at a press conference at the Secretariat on Wednesday. “We have received what could be termed a green signal regarding the complete withdrawal of this unjust and oppressive ordinance and we hope the outcome of ongoing discussions will satisfy the employees,” he said. The matter has already reached the higher levels of government and is currently under review, with officials becoming increasingly aware of the negative consequences of the ordinance, he said. This repressive law will bring no benefit to public servants or the general population, said Kabir. “Following our meeting with seven secretaries yesterday, they have held meaningful discussions with the Cabinet Secretary on Wednesday. While they didn’t state anything explicitly, we can interpret the direction, hopefully, the Cabinet Secretary will convey something positive for us.”  Dhaka seeks enhanced global cooperation to combat illicit financial flows He also urged fellow employees to remain patient until Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus returns from his Japan trip on May 31, expressing optimism for a peaceful resolution. “Our movement is not intended to disrupt public service, especially with Eid-ul-Azha and the national budget ahead,” he said. “We serve the people and we have taken that into account.” The work abstention programme will be observed across the Secretariat and extended to all field offices, including departments, directorates, deputy commissioners' offices and divisional commissioners' offices from 10 am to 11 am daily until further notice, he said. He also urged employees in essential services, particularly hospitals and budget-related departments, to keep their work abstention to a minimum. “If you can limit your pause to 30 minutes or even less to ensure uninterrupted service to the public, we request you to consider it,” he said. A memorandum and direct communications would be sent to advisory council members to explain the rationale behind the demand in more detail. BNP wings’ rally underway at Nayapaltan;  traffic gridlock paralyses parts of Dhaka He also asked the employees to continue the movement patiently until the Chief Adviser returns.