Finance Division employees protest at Secretariat

They demand the changing of the joint secretary and the reservations for senior positions

The officials and employees of the Finance Division have held a demonstration at the Secretariat demanding the removal of the joint secretary and reservation of higher positions such as the posts of joint secretary, deputy secretary, senior assistant secretary, and assistant secretary, for non-cadre officers.

They held a rally following the demonstration at the Secretariat around 10:30am on Wednesday.

Md Badiul Kabir, president of the joint council consisting of Secretariat officers and employees, said at the protest rally: "The administrative officers of the Ministry of Public Administration, Ziaur Rahman and Aslam Hossain, went to Nadira Sultana, the joint secretary of the Finance Division. She misbehaved with the two of them and intimidated them at that time.”

“Ziaur fell unconscious on the floor and vomited twice on the spot. Before this, he was not even given a glass of water to drink. Upon receiving the news, the employees of the Ministry of Public Administration and the Finance Division rushed to the spot and took him to the Bangladesh Secretariat Clinic in an unconscious state. As his condition deteriorated, he was immediately transferred to the Government Employee Hospital at the advice of doctors."

He said, “For such misconduct and considering it as a conspiracy to destabilise the peaceful atmosphere of the Secretariat, Finance Division Joint Secretary Nadira must be transferred immediately from the Secretariat alongside appropriate action against her for conspiring against the government.”

"The non-cadre officers of the Secretariat have been demanding the reservation of posts such as joint secretary, deputy secretary, senior assistant secretary, and assistant secretary for a long time according to the quota they had received earlier.”

“Realising the rationale behind the demand, the public administration ministry formed an 11-member committee. The last meeting of the committee was held on Nov 6 and the records of the meeting were signed by the remaining 10 members, except the one from the Finance Division. We want a quick solution."

On Tuesday evening, more than 100 officials and employees took up positions outside the room of Obaidur Rahman, additional secretary of the appointment, posting and deputation department of the Ministry of Public Administration.

The protesters gathered at the Secretariat at 9am on Wednesday. They marched through the entire Secretariat before holding a protest rally that ended outside the public administration ministry.

The protesters also called for another protest march and rally in front of the public administration ministry on Thursday.