Dhaka: Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin and Press Secretary Abu Abdullah M Saleh, popularly known as Saleh Shibly, have been appointed as spokespersons for the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). The Prime Minister’s Office released a notification regarding these appointments on Sunday.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the notification stated that under Rule 28(4) of the Rules of Business, 1996, Mahdi Amin and Saleh Shibly will serve as spokespersons responsible for providing and disseminating official information related to the Prime Minister’s Office to the press, media, and other platforms. The order is set to take effect immediately.
Among the advisers with the status of state minister, Mahdi Amin oversees portfolios including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment. In the lead-up to the 13th parliamentary election, Amin played a key role in the BNP’s central election steering committee and also acted as its spokesperson. During the election period, he was frequently seen presenting the party’s stance on various issues from the party’s election office in Gulshan.
On February 19, the government appointed Saleh Shibly as Press Secretary to the Prime Minister with the status of secretary. Prior to this, on January 3, he was appointed Press Secretary to BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, a position he took after working closely with Rahman for several decades. Shibly has an extensive background in media, having worked with several organizations including UNB, the daily Manabzamin, The Daily Banglabazar, Radio Today, and Channel i. During the tenure of the four-party alliance government, he served as First Secretary (Press) at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata.