Employees of the Bangladesh Secretariat will observe a one-hour work stoppage from today as part of their ongoing movement demanding the withdrawal of the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025.

The protest will take place at the secretariat and field-level offices from 10am to 11am every working day, said Badiul Kabir, co-chairman of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Unity Forum, during a press conference at the secretariat on Wednesday.

However, employees involved in urgent services – such as budget preparation and medical care – will abstain from work for no more than half an hour, he added.            Badiul Kabir told reporters that a five-member committee of secretaries, led by Saleh Ahmed himself, met Cabinet Secretary Sheikh Abdur Rashid on Tuesday and briefed him on the matter following discussions with employee representatives.

He said an apparent green signal regarding their demand was received during the discussion with the cabinet secretary.

“A decision regarding the demands of the protesting employees will be made once Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus returns from his visit to Japan on 31 May,” said Badiul Kabir, adding that the work stoppage would continue until his return.

The development led to a suspension of Wednesday’s protest programme, providing a hiatus in the four-day demonstration that had continued uninterrupted since Saturday.

In response to a reporter’s query, Muhammad Nurul Islam, another co-chairman of the forum, said that if the demands are not met by the end of the work stoppage, a new programme will be announced. “There is no scope for stepping aside from the movement,” he added.

Last Thursday, the Advisory Council of the Interim Government approved the draft of the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, amending the Public Service Act, 2018. Since then, employees of various ministries and departments have taken to the streets in protest.

Amid the protests, the government officially issued the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, on Sunday evening.