No More “Sir” : Advisory Council Scraps Hasina-Era Directive on Addressing Female Officials

PNN Desk Report: In a significant move to undo the remnants of authoritarian protocol, the Council of Advisers on Thursday officially annulled a controversial directive issued during Sheikh Hasina’s nearly 16-year autocratic rule, which reportedly required public officials to address her as “Sir”—a title traditionally reserved for men.

The bizarre practice, which extended to other high-ranking female officials as well, has long drawn criticism from civil society and governance experts for its absurdity and gender insensitivity. Even after the fall of the previous regime, remnants of this enforced honorific lingered in some administrative circles.

The Council of Advisers, in its meeting held on July 10, 2025, scrapped the directive and formed a review committee to examine other such outdated protocol guidelines that had been issued by the Cabinet Division under the previous government.

The review committee will be led by Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, Adviser for Energy, Roads, and Railways and Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser for Environment and Water Resources. The committee has been tasked with reviewing all existing protocol directives and honorific conventions, and to submit appropriate recommendations within one month for consideration by the full Advisory Council.

Officials present in the meeting noted that such symbolic reforms are crucial in dismantling the culture of personality cult and authoritarian control that characterized the former administration.