A coalition of 25 government cadre groups under the banner of the “Inter-Cadre Disparity Resolution Council” initiated a public protest through a one-hour pen-down strike on Tuesday, December 24. They announced further demonstrations, including a human chain, scheduled for Thursday. On December 25, current and former officials of the administration cadre have called for a joint meeting to discuss retaining all administrative positions for their cadre.

During the strike, members demanded the abolition of quotas for deputy secretary-level promotions, assigning policy-making roles such as secretaries to officials from respective cadres, and ensuring equal rights for all cadre officers. Representatives from various cadres, including postal, livestock, fisheries, statistics, railways, agriculture, and cooperatives, participated by staging demonstrations with banners both inside and outside their offices. If demands remain unmet, a rally is planned in Dhaka on January 4, followed by further actions.

The council was formed in September to address grievances related to promotions and postings. Tensions escalated after the Public Administration Reform Commission proposed reserving 50% of deputy secretary positions for the administration cadre while allocating the remaining 50% for others. The commission also recommended excluding education and health sectors from cadres and forming separate commissions for them, akin to the Judicial Service Commission. These suggestions have sparked concerns about reduced promotion quotas for the administration cadre, intensifying inter-cadre disputes.