A group of retired government officials who were reportedly deprived of promotion and service benefits during the Awami League government staged sit-in at the secretariat demanding a committee's recommendations for their promotion. Around 50 to 60 deprived officials gathered in front of the office of Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md. Mokhles Ur Rahman around 10:30am. The officials got agitated when the Public Administration Secretary stepped out of his office around 11:30 am to calm the situation. 1,919 doctors who passed 42nd BSC demand immediate appointment They expressed their frustration loudly with some even demanding the resignation of the Public Administration Secretary. Mokhles UR Rahman  said he has not received any filed from the Chief Adviser’s office yet regarding the promotion of the deprived officials. He assured them that once the file reached he would process it promptly. Despite his explanation, the protesting officials remained unconvinced and continued their demonstration. The Public Administration Secretary then returned to his office but the protestors declared that they would remain outside the office until an official notification regarding their promotion was issued. Govt employees to receive dearness allowance On December 10, the committee reviewing the applications of retired officials reportedly deprived of promotion submitted its report to Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The committee, headed by former Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan, recommended the promotion of 764 officials to the ranks of Deputy Secretary, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary, and Secretary.

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday protested Information and Broadcasting Adviser Nahid Islam's accusation that political parties were trying to undermine the interim government and demanded the statement be withdrawn. “I don't know why or in what context he said this, or whether he understood the meaning of it. This is a dangerous allegation. I strongly condemn and protest against it. I think he should withdraw his comment,” he told a discussion. The BNP arranged the programme at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, marking the Martyred Intellectuals Day, which will be observed across the country on Saturday. Fakhrul called upon the interim government to be cautious in making its statements. “Please don't make political parties your opponents.” He said the students, the people, and political parties, including the BNP, have all entrusted the interim government with the responsibility to create an environment in which a fair election can be held and a people's government and parliament can be established. Turkish jurists meet BNP leaders, discuss judicial system “Political parties are supporting you (govt), but you're claiming they are working to make you fail. We have stated this countless times, and our acting chairman has also said that the failure of this government would mean the failure of the people and of us. So, why do you make such statements?" the BNP leader said. He said the government and democratic forces must be very cautious with their words and actions. “We shouldn’t say anything that undermines our victory or destroys our achievements. This is the most critical time—one wrong step could lead to a setback, causing you to fall into a ditch," Fakhrul cautioned. Fakhrul said the "fascist" ruler Sheikh Hasina, who fled Bangladesh and took refuge in India, is actively working against the interests of the country. He also said the Awami League leaders and workers are continuously engaging in false propaganda and spreading misinformation against the country using social media. The BNP leader urged his party colleagues to be active on social media, countering the misinformation with facts and intellectual discourse. He said BNP leaders and workers must continue their efforts to institutionalise democracy and establish a healthy democratic political culture in Bangladesh. BNP criticises Adviser Nahid over remarks on political parties “There is still much work ahead of us. Many people believe their job is done now as Hasina has fled, but we have a long way to go before we can make democracy both a culture and a system. Let’s take an oath that we will build ourselves into worthy citizens of the country and dedicated democratic workers,” Fakhrul said. He said democracy is not just a notion but a culture. “We must learn how to speak, how to behave, how to interact with our neighbours, and how to engage with our political opponents in a democratic way. Democracy does not mean cutting someone's throat for supporting the Awami League or BNP. Democracy means absolute tolerance.” Fakhrul also expressed concern over a current tendency to overshadow the 1971 Liberation War by glorifying the recent mass upsurge. “I believe this is part of a larger conspiracy to distance the nation from its original history. We see this as a distortion of history, and we must be careful about it.”

Police have dispersed a group of HSC students when they were staging demonstration at the Secretariat demanding re-evaluation of their results.Witnesses said some 50-60 students, who failed in the HSC examinations or got poor results, stormed the Secretariat around 3 pm and chanted slogans demanding re-evaluation of their results published recently.Students stage demo protesting HSC results through subject mapping; several injured The protesters also threatened to stage a sit-in until their demand is not met. At one stage, police chased them and charged batons to disperse them. Police detained 54 students from the spot who were taken to Shahbagh Police Station in two prison vans, said an assistant superintendent of police at the Secretariat. Earlier on October 20, a group of students under the banner of ‘HSC-Batch 2024’ entered the Dhaka Education Board premises and staged a demonstration opposing the HSC results terming it ‘discriminatory’. Terming the results as discriminatory the students demanded the government to publish the results through mapping of all subjects. On October 15, the results of HSC and its equivalent examinations were published.

The ‘BSRF-Walton Sports Festival-2022’ will kick off Monday. Mesbah Uddin, secretary to youth and sports ministry, is expected to inaugurate the festival around 9.30am, Tapon Biswas, president of the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporter's Forum disclosed this at a press conference at the media center in secretariat on Sunday. Read more: Jatiya Press Club launched 10-day sports festival on Monday A total of seven events will held at the festival while members of the BSRF will participate in six events and another event is for non-member journalists. The events include chess, single and dual carom, card, table tennis, ludu for members and non-members.

A technician was electrocuted to death while repairing the intercom system of the social welfare ministry at the secretariat in Dhaka Wednesday. Mujahid Uddin, 45, was from Narayanganj. His co-worker Moniruzzaman Rony said they went to the secretariat to fix the intercom system of the ministry. The 45-year-old was electrocuted while working on a ladder in a corridor on the second floor of building No. 6. Read: College student electrocuted, another injured in Sherpur He was declared dead after being rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) at 5:30pm in a critical condition, Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of the DMCH Police Outpost, said. The body was kept at the hospital morgue for autopsy, he added.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Monday said the whole country is watching that BNP is not in the field but its leaers are giving speeches on televisions from their homes.

A mobile court here on Thursday fined six drivers for blowing horns in the ‘No Horn Zone’ around the Secretariat in the city.

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud on Wednesday said the ‘Media Workers Bill’ will be placed in the Cabinet very soon.