Postal Protest Over Proposed GPO Property Takeover

Postal workers have strongly protested a recent proposal to integrate the historic General Post Office (GPO) building in Dhaka's Gulistan with the Secretariat by labeling it "abandoned and unused." They have demanded the immediate withdrawal of the proposal, citing the building’s ongoing operations and historic significance.

In a press release signed by Atiya Sultana, Office Secretary of the BCS Postal Association and Deputy General Manager of Postal Life Insurance (Eastern Region, Dhaka), the association expressed deep concern and condemnation over the development. According to the release, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works has recently submitted a proposal to the Chief Adviser suggesting the incorporation of the GPO building into the Secretariat masterplan, citing it as “abandoned and unused.”

The association rejected this claim, calling it "false, misleading, and ill-motivated," and emphasized that the GPO compound is officially classified as a Key Point Installation (KPI). "Fourteen operational offices of the postal department are actively functioning within the compound, serving thousands of people daily," the statement said. "This service center has never been abandoned."

While the office of the Director General of the Postal Department has been relocated to the Dak Bhaban in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, other operational units continue to function from the GPO compound as before, the release clarified.

The association further criticized the submission of the proposal without consulting the postal department, stating, "The GPO building is not just a structure—it is a symbol of pride and heritage for nearly 40,000 postal employees. Any attempt to take it over through conspiratorial means will be seen as a direct attack on the nation’s postal service."

Earlier, on May 11, in response to reports of the proposal submitted by the Ministry of Housing and Public Works to the Chief Adviser, postal employees in Dhaka staged a protest at the GPO premises.

Speaking at the protest, Postmaster General of the Dhaka Metropolitan Circle, Md. Altafur Rahman, remarked, “The GPO building is not merely a structure; it is the lifeline, pride, and heritage of nearly 40,000 postal officials and workers. Any attempt to seize this building through conspiracies will be considered a blow to the country's postal services.”