Dhaka: The government has officially issued the Government Service (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, marking a significant change to the Government Service Act, 2018. The ordinance was promulgated following a meeting of the Interim Government’s Advisory Council held last Thursday.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the ordinance outlines specific offenses that constitute misconduct among government employees. These include inciting disobedience or disrupting discipline, being absent or neglecting duties without a valid reason, encouraging others to avoid responsibilities, and obstructing colleagues from performing their duties. The ordinance specifies penalties for such offenses, which may range from demotion to termination of service.
The ordinance also stipulates procedural requirements for addressing misconduct. A show-cause notice must be served to the accused within seven days of the formal framing of charges. If the employee is found guilty, a subsequent show-cause notice must be issued within seven working days, asking why disciplinary action should not be taken. Based on the employee’s response, appropriate punishment may then be imposed.
Employees penalized under the ordinance have the right to appeal within 30 working days, except in cases where the order is issued directly by the President. In such instances, the affected employee may submit an application requesting the President to reconsider the decision.