DHAKA, March 29, 2026 (BSS) - The Ministry of Public Administration has directed all government officials and employees to remain mandatorily present in their respective office rooms for 40 minutes every morning, aiming to strengthen discipline, ensure efficient use of resources and maintain cleanliness in workplaces.

The directive was issued through an office order signed by Deputy Secretary Shariful Islam of the ministry's Administration-1 Branch today.

According to the order, all officers and employees must stay in their offices from 9:00 am to 9:40 am daily. 

The ministry said measures should be taken to promote responsible conduct and ensure energy conservation in government offices.

It noted that although similar instructions had earlier been issued by the Cabinet Division, compliance has not been satisfactory.

In light of this, all ministries, divisions, departments and agencies have been asked to strictly follow the existing instructions and ensure proper implementation.

The directives include ensuring mandatory presence in office rooms during the specified time period and preparing official schedules in a way that does not disrupt this time frame.

To reduce electricity consumption, officials have been instructed to maximize the use of natural daylight by keeping doors, windows or blinds open and to limit the use of electrical lighting during daytime.

Only essential electrical devices such as lights, fans and air conditioners should be used during office hours, while air conditioners must be set at 25 degrees Celsius or above.

Officials must switch off all electrical equipment when leaving their rooms. 

In addition, unnecessary lighting in corridors, staircases and washrooms must be avoided.

The order also mandates that all electrical devices, including computers, printers, scanners, lights, fans and air conditioners must be turned off after office hours.

Use of decorative lighting without government approval has been discouraged and all officials-employees have been urged to adopt energy-saving practices.

Furthermore, offices must ensure regular cleaning of rooms, corridors, toilets, staircases and handrails.

To ensure compliance, all offices have been instructed to form vigilance teams to monitor implementation of the directives.

The ministry underscored that strict adherence to these instructions is crucial for maintaining discipline, improving efficiency and conserving energy in government offices.