The Council of Advisers on Thursday officially revoked a contentious directive from the tenure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which allegedly mandated public officials to address her as “Sir” instead of using gender-appropriate titles.

The directive, reportedly enforced during Hasina’s nearly 16-year rule, extended beyond her office, with other senior female officials also being referred to as “Sir”; a practice critics have described as both inappropriate and unusual.

In a statement, the Chief Adviser’s press wing noted that the revocation is part of broader efforts to reform outdated and excessive protocol requirements established by the previous administration.

To facilitate these reforms, the Council has formed a committee tasked with reviewing existing protocol directives and use of official honorifics.

The committee includes Energy, Road and Railway Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan and Environment and Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan.

They are expected to submit recommendations for changes within one month.