Officials of 25 cadres announce series of protests against commission's recommendations
One-hour pen-down strike will be observed on 24 Dec
Officials of 25 cadres in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BSC) have announced a series of protests over the Public Administration Reform Commission's recommendation to appoint 50% of deputy secretaries from the administration cadre and another 50% from the rest.
They are also protesting the commission's recommendation to remove education and health cadres from the cadre system.
The officials, under the banner of Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council, announced their programmes after holding a meeting at the Purta Bhaban in Dhaka this morning, according to a press release issued by the council.
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On 23 December, each cadre association will issue a statement regarding the situation; on 24 December, a one-hour pen-down strike will be observed from 11am to 12pm in all offices; and on 25 December, a human chain will be formed in front of offices from 11am to 12pm.
Besides, a rally will be organised in Dhaka on 4 January and the next programmes will be announced there. Furthermore, in areas where no regional rally has been held, the council will organise gatherings and increase public engagement.
Bangladesh has 26 cadre services, with 75% of deputy secretary positions currently allocated to the administration cadre, and the rest to other cadres.
On 17 December, Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, head of the Public Administration Reform Commission, proposed revising the promotion quota for deputy secretary positions to a 50:50 split between administrative and other cadre officials.
The council's statement said the commission's recommendation to allocate 50% of Deputy Secretary positions to one cadre has sparked significant dissatisfaction among the other cadres, as it disrupts the balance within the civil service.
"This decision was presented in the media, fueling further resentment," it said.
It also mentioned concerns raised at a recent meeting, where speakers stressed the need for experienced officers from each cadre to be assigned to their respective ministries. Currently, administration cadre officers, who lack sector-specific expertise, are tasked with policy-making and decision-making, which hampers effective public service delivery.
The dominance of one cadre across all sectors has led to bureaucratic syndicates, mismanagement, and corruption, undermining the state structure. This situation deprives the public of quality services and fosters authoritarian, disconnected governments rather than a people-centered one.
Besides, the proposal to separate the education and health cadres from the civil service has raised further concerns about potential chaos within the system, said the release citing the speakers.
The commission's decisions could potentially create severe disruption within the civil service. Speakers emphasised the need for each ministry to be managed by officials from the relevant cadre and called for a merit-based, quota-free pool for deputy secretary positions.
