Dhaka, February 6: Large-scale protests erupted in Bangladesh on Friday, demanding the immediate implementation of the 9th National Pay Scale. According to local media, demonstrators gathered near the official residence of Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus, creating a tense atmosphere in the area.
To maintain law and order, security forces set up barricades around the Jamuna area. When the situation escalated, police used water cannons and sound grenades to disperse the crowd. Despite this, protesters continued to chant slogans in support of their demands, as reported by the United News of Bangladesh (UNB).
One female protester stated that they had gathered solely to advocate for the pay scale revision and had no other agenda. Another protester, who was detained by police, expressed that he is the sole breadwinner for his family and is struggling to support them with the current salary.
Earlier in the day, around 10:30 AM local time, protesters had assembled in Shahbagh before attempting to march towards Jamuna, but police repeatedly blocked their path.
Notably, in December, officials and employees from various ministries and departments working at the Bangladesh Secretariat had surrounded financial advisor Salehuddin Ahmed in his office to voice their demands. Local media reports indicated that employees had long been requesting various allowances.
According to the Dhaka Tribune, a group of employees gathered in front of the Financial Advisor’s office located on the fourth floor of the building. Led by Badil Kabir, president of a faction of the Bangladesh Secretariat Officers and Employees Joint Council, they surrounded Salehuddin Ahmed within the Ministry of Finance’s office.
In an interview with the Dhaka Tribune, Badil Kabir stated that Secretariat employees have been demanding various allowances for a long time and will not leave until the government issues an official gazette notification regarding these benefits.
As reported by BDNews24, on December 3, employees at the Bangladesh Secretariat warned that if the gazette notification regarding the pay commission was not issued by December, they would initiate a more intense movement starting January 10. This warning was conveyed in a memorandum sent to the Financial Advisor by the organization’s General Secretary, Nizamuddin Ahmed.
