Dhaka, Dec 10:
Tensions escalated at the Bangladesh Secretariat on Wednesday after officials and employees from several ministries confined Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed inside his office, demanding long-pending allowances and immediate government action. The incident took place on the fourth floor of the Ministry of Finance, local media reported.
According to eyewitnesses, a large group of employees gathered outside the adviser’s office, effectively blocking his exit. The protest was led by Badiul Kabir, a factional president of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Combined Council. Kabir told the Dhaka Tribune that employees have been demanding several allowances for an extended period and warned that they would not leave until the government issues an official gazette announcing the promised benefits.
The agitation follows repeated warnings issued by Secretariat employees. On December 3, they cautioned that a tougher movement would begin on January 10 if the government failed to publish a gazette notification regarding the forthcoming pay commission. The warning came through a memorandum submitted to the finance adviser by the council’s secretary general, Nizam Uddin Ahmed, as reported by bdNews24.
The memorandum stated that while government employees had high hopes for the National Pay Commission-2025—formed by the current interim government—uncertainty at the final stage has created anxiety among staff. They argued that the delay in releasing the commission’s report was undermining efforts to secure their legitimate demands.
Employees highlighted financial hardships due to rising commodity prices and increased living costs, noting that lower-grade officials were particularly affected. The council has proposed restructuring the existing 20-grade pay scale into 10 phases with a 1:4 ratio to ensure fairness and sustainability.
They also reiterated three core demands: implementation of the 9th pay scale, introduction of a dedicated Secretariat allowance, and introduction of a Secretariat ration allowance. The standoff continued as employees vowed to intensify their movement until their demands are met.
