Press Information Department

Press Information Department

Abbreviation	PID
Formation	1972
Headquarters	Dhaka, Bangladesh
Region served	Bangladesh
Official language	Bengali
Principal Information Officer (PIO)	Surath Kumar Sarker
Website	Press Information Department

Press Information Department or PID is a government body of Bangladesh which is responsible for disseminating government information to the media and a media regulatory organization. It is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.^[1][2] It is under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.^[3]

History and Activities[]

Press Information Department (PID) is one of the most important departments of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. 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 feedback 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 every day from the early morning to 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, Administration, Protocol and Monitoring. The subsections are Research and Reference (R&R) and Facts and Personalities (F&P), Administration, Accreditation, Press Trend and News Brief, Coordination, Press Clippings, Press, newsroom, Photo and Feature etc.

Three Regional Offices of PID in Chittagong, Khulna and Rajshahi are running for field level activities. Another four Regional Offices of PID in Barishal, Sylhet, Rangpur and Mymensingh got approval to in 2020 and those field level offices have started to function.

The top position of PID is the Principal Information Officer (PIO) who is equivalent at the rank of Secretary (Grade-1) of Bangladesh Government. Two Additional Principal Information Officer (APIO)s assist the Principal Information Officer in all respects at the work and responsibility of PIO. For public relations and ministerial publicity of different ministries/divisions, PID attaches its personnel (member of Bangladesh Civil Service Information cadre) there. PID also attaches its officers and photographers to the Prime Minister's office, President's office, National Parliament and other relevant offices for Press and media liaison.

PID has become a dynamic organization for its vibrant activities. 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.

References[]