The government yesterday made some fresh appointments, extension of services, transfers and cancellation of appointments of several officials.

Secretary of the Primary and Mass Education Division Prof Tahmina Hossain and Director General at the Prime Minister's Office MA Mazid were given a one-year extension each.

Prof AZM Iftekharul Awal of the history department of the Dhaka University has been appointed director general of the National Museum under a one-year contract. Educationist Zobaida Gulshan Ara has been made chairman of Bangladesh Shishu Academy for two years on contractual appointment while Dr Begum Jahanara has been made director of the Shishu Academy on a one-year contractual appointment.

The government also cancelled contractual appointments of three press ministers in Washington, London and New Dehli missions with immediate effect.

The Awami League government appointed three press ministers for three years before the end of its tenure. They are Abul Kalam Azad in Washington, Abu Musa Mohammad Hasan in London and Faruq Kazi in New Delhi.

The government has also called back Commercial Consul General in Dubai mission Shahjahan Siddique and made him Officer-on

Special Duty (OSD).

DG of Family Planning Directorate Mir Shahabuddin has been transferred to the Non-Formal Education Directorate as project director. He was replaced by DG of Bangladesh Industrial Technical Assistance Centre (BITAC) Fazlur Rahman.

Joint secretary for the Chittagong hilll tracts affairs ministry AZM Shafiqul Islam has been transferred as chief executive officer to the Dhaka City Corporation.

Meanwhile, the extension of service of Secretary of water resources ministry Faisal Ahmed Chowdhury is under process. He is expected to get a one-year contractual appointment within the next couple of days. The Ministry of Establishment has sent a proposal to the prime minister in this respect, official sources said.