In protest against the biased and discriminatory temporary suspension by the Administration Cadre and in response to the Public Administration Reform Commission’s report, the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council organized a press conference on Saturday, February 8, 2025. The press conference was held at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in Segunbagicha, Dhaka.
During the conference, it was stated that the Administration Cadre Association recently organized a rally in Dhaka, issuing an ultimatum to the Public Administration Reform Commission. During and after the rally, they made various derogatory remarks against members of other cadres. Prior to this, they created chaos by besieging the Ministry of Public Administration. As a result, members of 25 cadres included in the council engaged in counter-statements on social media against the Administration Cadre members.
It has been observed with deep concern that members of various BCS cadres under the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council, working in different ministries, departments, and agencies, are being temporarily suspended indiscriminately for expressing opinions on social media. The issuance of such notifications without show-cause notices on trivial pretexts is highly inappropriate and unacceptable. Suspension from duty without allowing the accused to defend themselves is a violation of fundamental rights and service regulations. Those who have been subjected to such actions are highly skilled and competent officials in their respective fields. The council members are outraged by such suspensions without the opportunity for self-defense.
The council believes that the current interim government was formed through a spontaneous mass uprising of students and the general public with the commitment to building a discrimination-free Bangladesh and ensuring freedom of expression. The council strongly protests against the infringement on the right to freedom of expression under this government. The council has been supporting the government in implementing various reforms, including the formation of a citizen-friendly civil service. However, if such temporary suspensions continue, extreme dissatisfaction will arise within the civil service, which may put the government in an embarrassing situation.
In this context, we request the withdrawal of all temporary suspension orders issued by various ministries and the exoneration of the accused officials. Meanwhile, despite similar allegations against the Administration Cadre, no action has been taken by the Ministry of Public Administration.
The Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council and relevant cadre associations have informed various ministry advisors and authorities about this unjust aggression by the Administration Cadre and have requested the withdrawal of these unfair orders. Although the honorable advisors have assured us, no effective steps have been taken yet, and the suspensions continue. If these unfair suspension orders are not withdrawn within the next week, all cadre officers under the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council will be compelled to go on work abstention and initiate continuous protest programs.
Additionally, it was stated that to establish a service-oriented civil service, the council has presented clear demands to the Public Administration Reform Commission and other relevant commissions. These demands include: (1) “Cadre for its own ministry,” (2) the abolition of quotas in the DS pool, and (3) equal status for all cadres. However, the report submitted by the Public Administration Reform Commission does not reflect the demands of the 25 cadres.
We had previously stated that a biased Public Administration Reform Commission cannot present proposals for a discrimination-free state, and our concerns have proven to be accurate. We reject the vague report and anti-people proposals of the Public Administration Reform Commission.
Although the commission has replaced the term “cadre” with “service” in the names of all cadres, the term “Administrative Service” has been used to further empower the Administration Cadre. All cadres include administrative positions; therefore, adding the word “Administrative” to a specific cadre’s name is illogical, unnecessary, misleading, and objectionable. To avoid confusion, the “BCS Administrative Service” should be renamed as “BCS Land Service.”
To ensure public service, the proposal for “Cadre for its own ministry” has become a nationwide demand. However, the commission’s report does not specify which cadre will manage which ministry.
In Bangladesh’s governance system, policy formulation and planning in every sector are done by officers at the level of Deputy Secretary and above. Due to the presence of inexperienced, unskilled, and unprofessional individuals in these key positions, backwardness is evident in every sector. Therefore, we demand the abolition of quotas in Deputy Secretary appointments and insist on 100% merit-based recruitment through examinations among all cadres to ensure experienced officials are responsible for public service. However, the Public Administration Reform Commission has proposed a 50% quota for the Administration Cadre and 50% for the remaining 25 cadres, which is ridiculous and unacceptable. We will not accept any quota for the position of Deputy Secretary. The commission must amend this proposal and make it 100% open for all cadres based on merit. The 56% quota discrimination that our brave students shed their blood to abolish in 2024 should not be reinstated after they enter the civil service.
The Public Administration Reform Commission had intended to exclude the education and health sectors from the cadre system. Although their proposal does not explicitly state this, it subtly incorporates words and recruitment process differences to gradually exclude education and health from the cadre system. We strongly condemn such deceit. The Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council will not accept any form of quota that contradicts the spirit of the July Revolution.
A preliminary review of the Public Administration Reform Commission’s report has revealed that some proposals contradict the constitution and the independence of the judiciary. Additionally, some of the proposals are internally inconsistent. Once the full proposal is available, we will thoroughly examine the details and submit a formal proposal.
The written statement was presented by the Coordinator of the Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council, Mr. Md. Shawkat Hossain Molya. Also present at the event were Mr. Md. Jamilur Rahman from the Public Works Cadre, Dr. Mohammad Neyamat Hossain from the Health Cadre, Dr. Muhammad Mofizur Rahman from the Education Cadre, Dr. Muhammad Ahsan Habib from the Livestock Cadre, Mr. Md. Mominul Haque from the Agriculture Cadre, Ms. Fateha Noor from the Agriculture Cadre, along with other members from various cadres.
