In a departure from the conventional protest sites such as Paltan or Bangabandhu Avenue, protesters with various demands have now turned the front of the secretariat into the focal point for airing their demands.
Since the interim government assumed office in August, the secretariat has increasingly become a battleground for those seeking redress.
A plethora of groups, including secretariat staff, students from educational institutions, and Ansar members, have staged demonstrations in front of the secretariat, blocking the adjoining roads at various times.
These protests culminated in the arrest of over fifty individuals, including Ansar members and students, for allegedly attempting to enter the secretariat unlawfully.
The latest wave of protests began on 5 January, with aspirants who were excluded from the 43rd BCS examinations initiating a demonstration.
Following suit, dismissed sub-inspectors from the 40th Cadet Sub-Inspector (SI) batch also took to the streets.
On Tuesday (14 January), a new group comprising former 62nd prison guards and female prison guards joined the protests.
Meanwhile, 17 cadets who completed a marine engineering course from Jiangsu Maritime Institute, under the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare and BMET, have also positioned themselves outside the Secretariat, seeking the restoration of their employment.
Speaking to several protestors, it was revealed that since Monday, the dismissed cadets from the 40th SI batch have been conducting a hunger strike, draped in shrouds, in front of the secretariat.
Their protest continued through Tuesday, with the cadets asserting that no explanation was provided for their dismissal following their training.
Having undergone a year of training only to be dismissed, their future now hangs in uncertainty. They vowed not to abandon their protest without assurances or the fulfilment of their demands.
The protesters further suggested that the government, if necessary, should have all intelligence agencies re-investigate their cases.
They maintained that if no wrongdoing is found, their employment should be reinstated.
The dismissed SIs claimed that their protest, aimed at overturning what they describe as an unjust dismissal and reinstating their jobs, involves 321 sub-inspectors.
Demonstration would persist until a definitive resolution is achieved, they added.
