Syed Abdal Ahmad, Executive Editor of the newspaper Amar Desh, has been appointed as the Principal Information Officer (PIO) of the Government of Bangladesh. The appointment, equivalent to the rank of Secretary (Grade-1), was announced on Sunday through a notification issued by the Ministry of Public Administration’s Contract and Foreign Branch. According to the notification, the appointment is on a one-year contractual basis, effective from the date of joining, and requires him to sever ties with any other professional or institutional engagements.
The notification further stated that other terms and conditions of the appointment will be determined by the contract agreement. Ahmad is a veteran journalist who previously served as Deputy Press Secretary to Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia from 1992 to 1996. He has received several awards, including the Philips Award in 1989, the ESCAP-FEJEB Award, and the Dhaka Reporters Unity Lifetime Honor in 2025.
Ahmad has held leadership roles in the National Press Club, served on the Media Reform Commission under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, and authored over 20 books on politics, literature, and social issues.