Staff Reporter :
In a surprising turn of events, officials and employees of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd attacked the Petrobangla headquarters on Tuesday morning, protesting the appointment of the new managing director.
The protesters ransacked the reception area on the ground floor of the state-owned oil, gas, and mineral corporation, using sticks to break glass partitions at the reception counter.
The group demanded that the new managing director be appointed from within their own ranks. While a brief scuffle occurred between security guards and the attackers, no serious injuries were reported.
Shahnewaz Parvez, a former general manager of Petrobangla, was appointed as the new managing director of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd, replacing Engineer Harunur Rashid Mollah.
The government cancelled Mollah’s contractual employment. According to an office order issued by Petrobangla on Monday, Shahnewaz Parvez was transferred to Titas with immediate effect, taking on his new role.
Addressing the issue, Petrobangla Chairman Zanedra Nath Sarker defended the appointment, stating that the protesters’ demands were unjustified.
“Petrobangla always appoints the managing director of Titas from its pool of senior general managers. However, no eligible senior GM was found in Titas for the MD position. Therefore, after consultations with the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, we appointed the new MD from Petrobangla’s list of senior GMs,” he explained.
Sarker further criticised the manner in which the protest was conducted.
“If the Titas employees or officers have any concerns, they are welcome to present them to my office in a respectful manner. By attacking the office, they have violated the rules. We will identify the individuals involved using CCTV footage and take departmental action first. If necessary, criminal charges will follow,” he added.
It is suspected that supporters of the former MD, Harunur Rashid Mollah, who may have benefited from his tenure, could have instigated the attack. Additionally, the new managing director’s recent actions against illegal consumers in the Keraniganj area, reportedly connected to the former state minister, may have contributed to the unrest.