PID Activities
Press Information Department (PID) is one of the most important departments of the Ministry of Information. Its birth is associated not only with the birth of Bangladesh, rather it had its existence even before the liberated Bangladesh, during the regime of East Pakistan but after having been free, under the free sun of Bangladesh, Press Information Department (PID) has started its work at its full length from 1972 while the central and provincial office merged under PID. It is very important to mention that PID carried on its work even during the days of the liberation war of 1971.
Just after the Liberation War, Regional Information Office of the then Provincial East Pakistan Government was reorganized as the present Press Information Department. Later, in 1984 following the advice of Enam Committee, the Research and Information preservation Departments again merged with the Press Information Department.
PID plays the nucleus role in disseminating information through press and media coverage for the people of national and international level to inform government's activity, policy - decision, development plan etc in the form of handout distributed to the press and electronic media for having coverage as the main source of government. At the same time it functions as the two way traffic like letting people know about government's activity and getting the feed back of the mass and reaching it to the government. PID helps creating awareness among them. This department is considered as one of the most sensitive Government organizations.
PID works everyday from the early morning, six 0'clock till the midnight as news-flow never stops for a single bit of moment around the world. PID even remains open during all the national and government holidays and carries on its regular work and time schedule with its three main sections, sub sections and cell. The three main sections are Press, Protocol, and Administration. The subsections are Research and Reference (R&R) and Facts, Personalities and Reference (FP&R). Establishment, Coordination, Press Trend, Clipping and Feature are different cells. There are three Regional Offices of PID in Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi. All these sections, subsections, cell and regional offices function directly under the Principal Information Officer (PIO) who is at the rank of Additional Secretary. The main responsibilities of the main three sections are on Senior Deputy Information Officers (Sr. DPIO). Deputy Information Officers (DPIO) heads the subsections and the cells are headed by Senior Information Officers (Sr. IO). Under the PIO Deputy Principal Information Officers (DPIOs) head the regional offices. There is an Additional Principal Information Officer (APIO) whose rank is equal to the Joint Secretary to the Government, who assists the Principal Information Officer in all respects at the work and responsibility of PIO. Besides, Photographic and Newsroom units work under Press Section.
At present PID has become a dynamic organization. It is now well equipped with computerized color photo lab, media centre and a modern newsroom supported by computers with internet, fax and telex facilities along with efficient manpower and capable enough to provide quick professional assistance for having media coverage.
Press Section Protocol Section Administration Section Facts, Personalities & Reference Research & Reference (R&R) Feature Allocation of Functions Strength of Manpower Charter of Duties Press Section
Press section takes the main responsibility in organizing press and media coverage with its two strong units i.e newsroom and photographic units. Newsroom works non-stop 365 days from morning till midnight regularly. This section, with the help of photographic section provides and distributes photographs, rejoinders and handouts on regular basis and issues press notes on emergency for having media coverage. It is the only government source of news. It also prepares news brief on behalf of Press Trend section and sends to all Ministries and Bangladesh embassies abroad. Press section also arranges press conferences and press briefing sessions. It organizes media centre equipped with modern communication tools on the arrival of state guests and important foreign delegates. Special media centres are also organized to provide all necessary support to the national and overseas media during important occasions like special national and International events like conference, seminar, symposia, summit, VVIP visit, election disaster etc. Senior Deputy Principal Information officer (Sr. DPIO) head the Press section.
Protocol Section
One of the three main sections of PID is 'Protocol Section' that issues accreditation cards for national and foreign journalists. Besides, the section presents photo albums to the visiting Head of the States, foreign delegates and VVIPs with photos of their visits to different places. Publishing and distributing PID telephone guides is also another important assignments of Protocol Section. The section also provides protocol services during reception and farewell to the state guests and identify the news and media men for their entrance to the high-risk security zones. Senior Deputy Information Officer (Sr. DPIO) head this section.
Administration Section
Administration section is the heart of any organization and so for PID too. The section is a combination of two cells, namely Coordination and Establishment. As coordination in all phases is the main job of administration, so the section co-ordinates in buying all necessary things for office, maintaining and renovating all necessaries, buying and maintaining vehicles, arranging routs for the officers for their coming and going, maintaining accounts for vehicle fuel, preparing monthly bill for fuel, dailies and weeklies, comparing the accounts amount with the released photographs, and keeping the records of all things kept in the store. As a whole, the responsibilities of this section is directing and maintaining departmental vehicles, collecting photographic and other stationary things (functioning as indenting officer), doing every thing on maintenance, renovation and direction, maintaining, renovating and distributing office furniture, buying and distributing all necessary office things, and newspapers and magazines, maintaining all types of co-ordination and communication with the Regional Offices, coordinating inter department issues and over all performing all given duties from the Head of the Department. Senior Deputy Information Officer (Sr. DPIO) is in charge of this section.
Facts, Personalities, Research and Reference (FP&R), Press Trend and Press Clipping (R&R) are the sub sections of PID whose responsibilities are also very important in carrying out PID's function. These subsections are headed by Deputy Information Officers. Each of these sub sections has some units, which are monitored by senior Information Officers (Sr IO).
Under Facts, Personality and Reference (FP& R) Subsection: There is only one unit of Basic Facts, under which there are sub units of media cell, library and Basic Facts of which the
in-charge is Senior Information Officer (Sr. IO) and, under the subsection of Research and Reference (R&R), there are two units Press Trend and Press Clippings of which the
in-charge officers are Senior Information Officers (Sr. IO).
Facts, Personalities & Reference
Under this subsection, the Basic Facts unit consists of three sub units - Basic Facts, Media Cell and Library, functions playing an important role. This subsection is considered as a strong pillar for actual, basic and true information, which is well equipped with a modern library and computerized permanent media cell. This subsection collects facts and actual information on history, geography, tradition, custom, culture, agriculture, education, health, population, crafts and trends, communications and preserves them in its library and media cell.
This subsection also prepares and preserves the life sketches of the President, Prime Minister, Ministers and different VVIPs and intellectuals of the arena of politics, culture, and economics. This subsection also prepares and publishes different acceptable reports, makes feed back reports on different reference materials, prepares files of newspaper clippings on different subjects and preserves them in computers and provides them at anytime emergency situation and thus strengthens the press coverage of the government. It has thus huge information on paper clippings from 1972 till present after 450 issues.
Research & Reference (R&R)
Press Trend & Press clippings are the two main units of this subsection, monitored by senior Information Offices for each unit. Press Trend unit prepares news trend on the daily published newspapers for the ministries and Bangladesh embassies abroad. It also monitors different foreign reports, prepares foreign press digest, translates different important news and reports and arranges their republication and reprint.
Press Clipping unit makes and sends news clippings from the dailies to the President, Prime Minister and all Ministers of different Ministries according to the subject, necessity and relevance of the clippings respectively. This unit starts their work very early in the morning and finishes their job within 11 am. and thus it helps informing the actual authorities about the news of the whole country and relevant subjects for them.
Feature
Feature is the separate cell of PID, of which the in-charge in Senior Information Officer under the designation of Chief Feature Writer. This cell prepares features on the development activities of the government along with the population welfare activities of the ministries on regular basis and assures their publications in different important dailies.
It also publishes special supplements in the important dailies on special occasions. Other than features, this cell makes, publishes and distributes different mass awakening slogans to cause effective influence on the people for bringing positive change in their attitude.
Thus Press Information Department has a wide range of its responsibilities, which play a very important role in running the country and making the government accountable to the people of the country and thus work accordingly how the mass people want. Thus PID functions as a two-way traffic.
The importance of the activity of this department cannot be measured so easily with bare eyes as it carries out its important work randomly remaining behind the screen.
Allocation of Functions
* Making press coverage arrangements in connection with tours, activities along with photographic coverage of the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Foreign Delegates and VVIPs.
* Arranging time-to-time press conferences of the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Foreign Delegates, Guests and Journalists.
* Supplying important paper clippings from the dailies to the President and Prime Minister and all the Ministers of different Ministries.
* Working as the advisor for the government and advising the government on introducing publicity policy and coordinating overall policies.
* Making arrangements for publicity of different aspects of Bangladesh government for the foreign state heads and VVIPs.
* Maintaining liaison with the national press and representatives of the foreign media along with the Dhaka based foreign diplomats.
* Preparing and publishing comprehensive and evaluation reports and features on national issues and development activities of the government.
* Monitoring foreign reports and thus providing news digest.
* Making daily and weekly news trend along with report on news.
* Attaching Public Relation Officers for different ministers and monitoring and helping organize their activities.
* Publishing special supplements on special days and occasions in different important dailies.
* Arranging press and media coverage of the different national and international summits, seminars and workshops.
* Maintaining liaison with the visiting journalists.
* Providing news brief, photograph and publicity related papers to the different Bangladesh embassies abroad.
* Providing accreditation cards to the local and foreign journalists.
* Preparing handouts and press notes on emergency purpose.
* Interpreting the policy and activities of the government through the medium of press for the national and international level.
* Preparing highlights of national and international news press trend of public opinion, criticisms, reference materials, development activities and periodicals.
* Compiling biographies and life sketches of the President, Prime Minister, Ministers and all reputed figures of politics, culture and economics.
* Preparing and preserving reports and articles on the facts of history, geography, culture, agriculture, industry, communication, health and population of Bangladesh.
* Preserving the clippings of important national and international news and views, published in the national press.
* Preserving reference materials, national newspapers, informative publications and maintaining the library and microfilm unit.
* Transmitting regular information and feedback materials to the government and other sources.
* Making different slogans, cartoons and fillers to make the people aware on different health and development issues.
Strength of Manpower
Press Information Department (PID) is headed by Principal Information Officer (PIO) who is supported by 351 officers and employees including 67 class one and 28 class two officers and 198 class three and 57 class four staffs. Among the class one officers the Principal Information Officer (PIO) is assisted by Additional Deputy Information Officer (APIO), three Senior Deputy Information officers (Sr DPIOs), five Deputy Information Officers (DPIOs) of whom three are in charge of Regional Offices of PID, forty Senior Information Officers (Sr. IOs), thirteen Information Officers (IO), twenty four Assistant Information Officers (AIOs).
Charter of Duties
Principal Information Officer (PIO)
Additional Principal Information Officer (APIO)
Senior Deputy Principal Information Officer (Admn)
Senior Deputy Principal Information Officer (Press)
Senior Deputy Principal Information Officer (Protocol)
Deputy Principal Information Officer (Facts, Personalities and Reference)
Deputy Principal Information Officer (Research & Reference)
Deputy Principal Information Officer: (In-charge of Regional Information Offices)
Chief Feature Writer (Feature Cell)
Senior Information Officer and Information Officers
Chief Photographer
1. To act as administrative head and is responsible for overall administration of the Department.
2. To act as the Publicity Advisor to the Government and advise the Government on formulation of publicity policy and coordination of overall publicity efforts of the Government.
3. To act as an advisor to the Administrative Ministry on technical matters and on formulation of policies concerning the Department.
4. To maintain liaison with the local press and foreign media representatives based in Dhaka including diplomatic representatives.
5. To supervise publicity coverage of the President, Prime Minister and activities of different Ministries, etc.
6. To give publicity coverage of the tours and visits to Bangladesh by the foreign State Heads, Heads of Government, VVIPs etc.
7. To supervise conducting of tours and visits of foreign delegates and media representatives and arrange spot coverage of development activities across the country by local and foreign journalists.
8. To act as the Principal Accounting Officer and the Controlling Office in respect of the annual sanctioned budget grant for the Department.
9. To be responsible for the administration and execution of function of the Department as per Acts, Ordinance, Rules and Regulations and Directives issued by the Government from time to time.
10. To grant pension and gratuity to the Class-II, Class-III and Class-IV officers and staffs.
11. To be responsible for day-to-day efficient and proper functioning and maintenance of discipline of the Department.
12. To provide executive and operational guidance to the field staffs and exercise control and supervision over them,
13. To be responsible for appointment of Class II, III and IV employees of the Department as per existing procedure and recruitment rules.
14. To control, supervise and co-ordinate the work of different sections of the Department.
15. To represent the Department in meetings, conferences, etc. as the occasion demands and where personal representation is not possible to select representative on his behalf.
16. To grant earned leave, to all Class-II and gazzetted officers and staffs under him.
17. To meet all officers monthly under him located in the same station to review cases pending for disposal over a month.
18. To inspect his office at least once in a month and field offices at least once in a quarter in addition to annual inspection.
19. To allocate duties among officers as and when required.
20. To be responsible for maintaining proper security measures of the Department.
21. To follow any other duties assigned by the Government.
1. To compile the basic facts of Bangladesh in the field of history, geography, culture, agriculture, education, health, population, industry and communication.
2. To prepare comprehensive list of personalities of Bangladesh.
3. To prepare comprehensive and evaluation reports on national issues and development activities on the basis of field survey and public opinion.
4. To prepare feedback reports from reference material.
5. To ensure paper maintenance of microfilm unit and copier machine.
6. To preserve of press analytical reports, research papers and other important documents.
7. To ensure proper maintenance of the library and look after regular indexing and cataloguing of books and research materials.
8. To classify clippings and place them in subject-wise files.
9. To arrange preparation and publication of the special articles on important national occasions.
10. To monitor foreign press report and preparation of foreign press digest.
11. To supervise the supply of daily clippings service to the President, Prime Minister and Ministries.
12. To supervise the preparation of weekly chronology of events.
13. To supervise the preparation of monthly reports of activities of the department.
14. To perform such other duties as assigned by PIO.
1. To assist the Head of the Department in discharging his duties in administrative matter.
2. To represent the Head of the Department as and when necessary.
3. To look after the work of the Head of the Department in his absence.
4. To deal with the cases relating to appointment, promotion and transfer of officers and staffs.
5. To maintain service book of the non-gazzetted employees of the Department.
6. To process and scrutinize T.A. bills of the officers and staffs.
7. To make arrangement for supplying liveries to the Class-IV employees of the Department.
8. To grant annual increment to the non-gazzetted employees of the Department.
9. To make and review recruitment rules of various posts of the Department.
10. To maintain annual confidential report of officers and staffs.
11. To maintain records of transports attached to the Department.
12. To make arrangement for purchasing office equipments and furniture for the Department and its regional offices and their maintenance.
13. To make arrangement for hiring office accommodation for the regional offices.
14. To look after the welfare of the staffs.
15. To sanction leave of the class-III and class-IV staffs as delegated by PIO.
16. To act as drawing and disbursing officer.
17. To issue expenditure sanction letters on behalf of the PIO.
18. To follow such other functions assigned by the PIO.
1. To arrange publicity of various ministries through press media, Radio and TV.
2. To arrange press coverage of the President, Prime Minister and Ministers.
3. To supervise the activities of news desk.
4. To arrange photographic coverage of Government activities.
5. To supervise the activities of the darkroom of photographic section
6. To arrange press coverage of cabinet meetings.
7. To arrange press conference of the President, Prime Minister and others Ministers and visiting foreign dignitaries.
8. To attach Information Officers in various ministries and newsroom and supervise their work.
9. To arrange outside news coverage and maintain liaison with the Regional Information Offices for having news coverage.
10. To maintain liaison with the journalists.
11. To arrange news coverage of special occasions.
12. To plan publicity for development projects.
13. To perform such other functions assigned by P1O from time to time.
1. To arrange conducting of national and foreign media men.
2. To arrange proper coverage of international, national conferences, seminars and workshops.
3. To maintain liaison with foreign journalists based in or visiting Bangladesh.
4. To ensure regular supply of publicity materials and photographs to our foreign embassies abroad.
5. To supply publicity materials and photographs to the foreign missions based in Dhaka on request.
6. To arrange the issue of accreditation to local and foreign journalists.
7. To prepare photographic albums for presentation to the visiting VIPs add VVIPs.
8. To arrange printing and distribution of telephone guide for news media and such other publications.
9. To maintain liaison with the regional offices for conducting journalists.
10. To prepare and maintain dossier of the visiting foreign journalists.
11. To follow such other functions assigned by PIO from time to time.
1. To collect basic facts on history, geography, culture, agriculture, population, industry and communication.
2. To prepare, maintain and distribute life sketches of the President, Prime Minister and Ministers.
3. To prepare monthly and annual report on the activities of this Department.
4. To prepare feedback report from reference materials.
5. To maintain and supply reference materials.
6. To preserve important press clippings along with all research based information.
7. To supervise the library work along with buying necessary books for it.
8. To divide paper clippings and help having subject-wise filing.
9. To supervise the reference work of the reference library.
10. To perform such other duties assigned by PIO.
1. To supply daily clippings to the President, Prime Minister, Ministers of all Ministries.
2. To monitor foreign press reports.
3. To prepare foreign press digest.
4. To prepare the weekly chronology of events.
5. To prepare daily and weekly press trend.
6. To prepare the implementation reports and monthly reports of activities of this Department on field based research and public opinion on national issues and development activities.
7. To arrange translation and republication / reprinting of news matters.
8. To perform such other duties as assigned by PIO.
1. To act as head of the Regional Office and be responsible for efficient and proper functioning of the office concerned and for the maintenance of office discipline.
2. To act as Drawing and Disbursing Officer in respect of annual sanctioned budget grant of the Regional Information Offices.
3. To grant annual increment, earned leave etc of non-gazzetted staffs of the office concerned and maintain their service records.
4. To prepare annual budgetary estimates and maintain accounts in-respect of expenditure against annual sanctioned grant.
5. To maintain liaison with the local media representatives and administration.
6. To arrange coverage of development activities at divisions, districts and thana level.
1. To arrange preparation and publication of special articles on important national occasions.
2. To prepare attractive features articles and cartoons on development activities of Government and Government policy and publish them in different dailies and periodicals.
3. To assist Government in carrying out different campaigns at different times.
4. To perform such other duties assigned by PIO.
1. To prepare handouts, press notes, unofficial releases for having media coverage.
2. To arrange press coverage of tours of Ministers.
3. To write articles on various government activities for having press coverage.
4. To arrange proper publicity of the ministries, divisions under the supervision of DPIO (Press).
5. To scan daily newspaper reports.
6. To conduct local and foreign journalists.
7. To arrange press conference.
8. To prepare press clippings.
9. To prepare life-sketch, foreign press digest etc.
10. To perform such other duties assigned by Senior DPIO (Press).
1. To act as Head of the photographic section and is responsible for overall professional work of that section.
2. To assign photographers for giving coverage of various Government functions.
3. To maintain attendance register of the staffs under him and submit absentee statement to his higher authorities.
4. To maintain register for the use of photographic stores.
5. To assess and prepare annual requirements of photographic equipment and stores and submit it to the higher authorities if necessary.
6. To prepare roster duties of the darkroom staffs under him on holidays, closed holidays and also on daily shifts.
7. To be responsible for proper maintenance of photographic equipment and stores issued for darkroom to him.
8. To follow other related functions assigned to him from time to time by the concerned authority.
