Scientists, officers, and employees of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) held a mass gathering at the commission's head office on May 4, 2025, protesting against the reinstatement of autonomy and undue interference from the ministry.
Following the gathering, a delegation submitted a memorandum to the Honourable Chief Advisor of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, along with copies of mass signatures collected to support their 11-point demands.
The 11-point demands outlined in the memorandum are:
1. Expeditious and permanent appointment of the Chairman and members to vacant posts to form a full commission.
2. Ensuring a research-friendly and dignified work environment by ceasing ministerial interference in matters within the commission's jurisdiction, thereby upholding its autonomy.
3. Returning the authority to grant prior approval and nomination for higher education and training at home and abroad to the commission.
4. Eliminating bureaucratic complexities and discrimination in issuing Government Orders (GOs) for higher education and training, and ceasing the mandatory inclusion in IDSDP and irrelevant information requests.
5. Maintaining the commission's authority to deposit funds in scheduled banks and manage expenditures according to regulations, keeping the commission outside the iBAS++ system to ensure the security and confidentiality of nuclear information.
6. Upgrading all downgraded posts of scientists, officers, and employees to their designated grades to resolve disparities.
7. Issuing a gazette notification to ensure Grade-II and Grade-I status for the commission's Principal Scientific Officers, equivalent to public university professors, as per Article 18(2) of the BAEC Service Rules, 1985.
8. Revoking the decision to finalise the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between NPCBL and PDB, excluding the commission as the owner organisation of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
9. Creating new posts, regularising all temporary posts, and increasing research funding for the smooth execution of research activities.
10. Introducing special benefits for the commission's scientists, officers, and employees, such as housing/flat purchase loans, rationing, and, where applicable, interest-free loans, and monetisation of vehicle services.
11. Upgrading the order of precedence for the Chairman and members of the commission in the Warrant of Precedence and determining appropriate ranks for scientists and officers.
BAEC, established in 1973, is a specialized institution dedicated to nuclear energy research, development, and peaceful applications in the country. The commission alleges increasing undue interference from the ministry since the previous government's tenure, hindering its regular operations.
Before this, the commission submitted memorandums to the Advisor for Science and Technology on December 15, 2024, and to the ministry on April 10, 2025, but received no response. Subsequently, a press conference was held on April 22, followed by nationwide sit-in protests and black badge wearing on April 23, April 27-28, and April 29-30. With no action taken by the authorities to address their demands, they were compelled to submit the memorandum to the Chief Advisor.
