Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) Director General Zafar Wazed has submitted his resignation following protests by officials and employees of the institute.
Zafar Wazed submitted his resignation from the post on Tuesday afternoon.
Parveen Sultana Rabi, a trainer from PIB’s Study and Training Department, confirmed the information.
She said: "He has resigned, but the Director (Administration) Zakir Hossain and others have not yet stepped down. We will continue our protest until they do. They have been engaging in unethical activities for a long time."
The protest, organized by PIB officials and employees, took place in front of the PIB headquarters in Shantinagar around 12:30pm on Tuesday.
The protesters demanded the removal of five individuals, including Zafar Wazed and Zakir Hossain.
The protesting staff claimed that they had long suffered under the leadership of these individuals, who they accused of abusing power and engaging in corrupt practices.
They alleged that Zafar Wazed had taken on two positions on the same day by manipulating the system, while Zakir Hossain had improperly received course coordinator and class conductor honours with Zafar's help.
Zakir was even awarded the National Purity Award, which the protesters argued was illegal as no one from the award committee should be eligible for nomination.
Further allegations included financial misconduct, with accusations that temporary workers were involved in stealing large sums of money under the pretence of administrative activities.
The protesters also accused Zakir Hossain of irregular promotions and financial improprieties.
On August 11, Zafar Wazed and Zakir Hossain reportedly appealed to the senior secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Zakir claimed to have been promoted to deputy director (Administration) and took charge as director (Administration) on May 16, 2023, without proper authorization.
The protesting staff, however, argued that no promotion selection committee or board meeting had approved his appointment.
The petitioners alleged that Zakir Hossain's promotion was secured through corrupt means, with the approval of only a small selection committee meeting in 2017.
Despite these claims, the minutes of the PIB Board’s meetings did not mention his promotion, further fuelling suspicions of irregularities.
The staff accused both Zafar Wazed and Zakir Hossain of harassment, administrative misconduct, and corruption, demanding their immediate removal from office pending a proper investigation.
"We don’t want to see them in PIB for another moment," the staff declared in their petition, emphasizing the urgent need for their removal to safeguard the integrity of the institute.
