Tuesday, 17 September, 2024
The heads of four institutions, including Liakat Ali Lucky who had held onto the post of director general at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy for a decade, have been sacked.
The Ministry of Public Administration’s contract and foreign appointment unit issued a notification revoking their contracts.
The ministry’s Deputy Secretary Abdullah Arif Muhammad confirmed the matter following an order from the country's president on Saturday.
The removed officials are - Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, the director general of the Bangla Academy; Abul Kalam Azad, the managing director and chief editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS); Liakat Ali Lucky, the director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy; and Minar Mansoor, the director of Jatiya Grantha Kendro.
Along with these four heads, the contract of Ranjan Sen, the first secretary (press) at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in India, has been nullified, according to the notice.
The decision came amid a wave of change in the top leadership of various public and private institutions following a power shift.
Within four days of Sheikh Hasina’s fleeing to India on Aug 5 in the wake of a popular uprising, the interim government was sworn in which had cited ‘reforms to state’ as its main objective.
The changes and reappointments began in top roles after the formation of the interim government on Aug 8.
On Aug 12, Shilpakala Academy chief Lucky declared his resignation from the role after the fall of the government. He had sent his resignation papers to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs on WhatsApp.
Earlier on Aug 10, Bangla Academy chief Askari revealed his resignation from the post citing 'emerging circumstances and personal reasons' behind the decision.
Askari was appointed as the director general of the Bangla Academy on Jul 18. He joined the office on Jul 24 after a weekend on Jul 19 and 10 and a general holiday declared by the government from Jul 21-23. His appointment came into effect on that day.
Liakat was appointed as the director general of the organisation on Apr 7, 2011. His tenure was extended for a seventh time on Mar 29, 2023. No one else has stayed in the role for as long a time.
His extended tenure as the head of Shilpakala Academy had led to complaints in the cultural sector. The Anti-Corruption Commission questioned him over allegations of corruption.
Liakat is also the president of the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation. He came under fire for the dismissal of the federation’s general secretary Kamal Bayezid. In response, the Dhaka Theatre left the federation.
Last June, a group of cultural activists protesting under the banner of ‘Common Theatre Workers’ had called for Liakat’s removal, but he did not accede to their demands.
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The heads of four institutions, including Liakat Ali Lucky who had held onto the post of director general at Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy for a decade, have been sacked.
The Ministry of Public Administration’s contract and foreign appointment unit issued a notification revoking their contracts.
The ministry’s Deputy Secretary Abdullah Arif Muhammad confirmed the matter following an order from the country's president on Saturday.
The removed officials are - Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, the director general of the Bangla Academy; Abul Kalam Azad, the managing director and chief editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS); Liakat Ali Lucky, the director general of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy; and Minar Mansoor, the director of Jatiya Grantha Kendro.
Along with these four heads, the contract of Ranjan Sen, the first secretary (press) at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in India, has been nullified, according to the notice.
The decision came amid a wave of change in the top leadership of various public and private institutions following a power shift.
Within four days of Sheikh Hasina’s fleeing to India on Aug 5 in the wake of a popular uprising, the interim government was sworn in which had cited ‘reforms to state’ as its main objective.
The changes and reappointments began in top roles after the formation of the interim government on Aug 8.
On Aug 12, Shilpakala Academy chief Lucky declared his resignation from the role after the fall of the government. He had sent his resignation papers to the Ministry of Cultural Affairs on WhatsApp.
Earlier on Aug 10, Bangla Academy chief Askari revealed his resignation from the post citing 'emerging circumstances and personal reasons' behind the decision.
Askari was appointed as the director general of the Bangla Academy on Jul 18. He joined the office on Jul 24 after a weekend on Jul 19 and 10 and a general holiday declared by the government from Jul 21-23. His appointment came into effect on that day.
Liakat was appointed as the director general of the organisation on Apr 7, 2011. His tenure was extended for a seventh time on Mar 29, 2023. No one else has stayed in the role for as long a time.
His extended tenure as the head of Shilpakala Academy had led to complaints in the cultural sector. The Anti-Corruption Commission questioned him over allegations of corruption.
Liakat is also the president of the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation. He came under fire for the dismissal of the federation’s general secretary Kamal Bayezid. In response, the Dhaka Theatre left the federation.
Last June, a group of cultural activists protesting under the banner of ‘Common Theatre Workers’ had called for Liakat’s removal, but he did not accede to their demands.
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