Home
+
Published : 12 Dec 2025, 12:13 AM
Police have detained 11 people on the second day of protests demanding the introduction of a “Secretariat allowance”.
Masud Alam, deputy commissioner of the Ramna division, said on Thursday afternoon that the detainees had been taken into police custody.
Among them are Badiul Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Joint Council, and its Vice-President Shahin Golam Rabbani. The identities of the others have not yet been confirmed.
Masud said they will face allegations of creating disorder in a key point installation (KPI) such as the Secretariat that amounted to taking a stand against the government.
Joint Commissioner Sana Shaminur Rahman said several people were detained for disorderly behaviour in such an important administrative zone defying police directives.
All ministry and department staff working at the Secretariat began protests on Wednesday, demanding a 20 percent Secretariat allowance for all employees.
From around 2:30pm that day, they staged a sit-in in front of the office of Financial Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed, leaving him confined for six hours.
The protesters withdrew their programme after receiving “assurances” from the advisor that a government order (GO) would be issued by 3pm on Thursday, stepping back from the protest site around 8:30pm.
But as no circular had been issued by 3pm, employees again gathered at the Secretariat, shouting slogans.
The gathering also announced plans for a “full-day work stoppage” starting next week.
Police initially detained five people from the Secretariat and later said the number had risen to 11.
Since the interim government took office, police have banned all rallies and gatherings around Jamuna, the official residence of the chief advisor, and across the Secretariat, which is the administrative center of the capital.
A fresh public notice reiterating the ban was issued on Thursday.
Seven days after that notice, Secretariat staff breached the ban for a second consecutive day, after which police took those “involved” into custody.
