Civil service urged to 'break from the past', embrace reform
Principal Secretary to the Chief Adviser M. Siraj Uddin Miah has called on Bangladesh’s civil service to fundamentally reform itself, stating that the administration stands at a historic crossroads following the July Mass Uprising.
Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled “Expectations of July Mass Uprising and Public Administration of the Future”, organised by the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association at the BIAM Foundation Auditorium on Friday, he urged civil servants to reject outdated practices and seize the opportunity for meaningful change under the current government.
“No other country has witnessed the death of so many in a movement against a sitting government. The 2018 uprising was not in vain,” he said, referring to the historic protest led largely by youth.
“At that time, children and teenagers pointed out the failures of the state. No one listened. They implemented their message in 2024,” he added.
Siraj Uddin stressed that the present administration has created an unprecedented opening for reform: “There is no political pressure now to work beyond party lines. The government is allowing employees to work strictly within legal boundaries. This opportunity must be utilized.”
He warned that the civil service now has two distinct paths: one that clings to the failures of the past, and another that embraces the vision born from the uprising. “The civil service cannot continue along the old path. A great opportunity has been created—now is the time for principled governance,” he said.
The seminar was chaired by Md. Nazrul Islam, Secretary of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and President of the Bangladesh Administrative Service Association. It featured a keynote address by Dr. Md. Sanwar Jahan Bhuiyan, Secretary of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission Secretariat, and was attended by senior secretaries, secretaries, academics, and members of the families of July Uprising martyrs.
Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan, Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, said that during the previous government, institutions were destroyed through politicization.
He advocated for professional administration free from party influence and proposed greater engagement of civil society and martyr families in administrative oversight.
Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Dr. Md. Mokhles Ur Rahman, emphasized the need for courage and accountability among officials, noting that the government is prioritizing administrative reforms.
He also shared his plans to include the letter of Shaheed Anas in educational curricula.
Professor of the Department of Public Administration of the University of Dhaka Dr. Syeda Lasna Kabir, General Secretary and former Secretary of the Officers Club Dhaka ABM Abdus Sattar, Secretary of the Bangladesh National Parliament Secretariat Kaniz Maula, Prof of the Department of Public Administration of the University of Rajshahi Dr. Shafiul Islam, Prof of the Department of Public Administration of the University of Rajshahi Sanjida Khan Dipti, mother of Shaheed Shahriar Khan Anas, Sabrina Afroz Sebanti, sister of Shaheed Mahmudur Rahman Saikat, Md. Ramzan Ali, brother of Shaheed Abu Sayeed, and Mir Mahbubur Rahman Sigdho, brother of Shaheed Mir Mahfuzur Rahman Mugdho, also spoke.
The seminar concluded with strong calls for the spirit of the July Mass Uprising to guide the future of public administration—one grounded in integrity, professionalism, and service to the people, not to politics.