Prime Minister Office and Mymensingh City Administration Reach Out to Teen Behind Anti-Bribery Website

Seventeen-year-old Shahed Sharif Ahmed, who gained national attention for creating a website to document bribery, has been contacted by the Prime Minister’s Office. Following this development, Mymensingh City Corporation Administrator Md. Rukunozzaman Rokan summoned Ahmed to his office on Tuesday to discuss his future plans and potential government support for his anti-corruption initiative.

Ahmed launched the website “ghush.site” on August 21 to protest the bribes demanded by officials to release his late mother’s pension funds. Since its inception, the platform has become a hub for reporting public sector corruption. As of Tuesday afternoon, the site had recorded 11,666 complaints involving alleged bribe demands totaling 3.57 billion taka.

The initiative gained momentum after media reports detailed the corruption Ahmed faced, leading the Upazila Primary Education Office to expedite his father’s pension paperwork and issue show-cause notices to two employees involved in the irregularities. A three-member investigative committee, led by Assistant Primary Education Officer Sikdar Mohammad Harun Or Rashid, has been formed to probe the delay in processing the benefits for the late teacher, Amena Khatun. The committee is scheduled to begin its formal inquiry on Thursday.

During their meeting, Administrator Rukunozzaman praised Ahmed’s efforts, noting that he had been alerted to the project by a direct contact of the Prime Minister. Rukunozzaman stated that he intends to forward a report regarding the website and the teenager’s vision to the Prime Minister’s Office. He emphasized that the government should encourage young citizens, particularly those from Generation Z, who are motivated to serve the nation and combat systemic issues.

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Ahmed, who continues to balance his studies with the operation of the website, expressed his appreciation for the government’s interest. He stated that he is currently overwhelmed by the volume of reports and requested formal recognition or support from the government to manage the workload. He remains optimistic that his initiative, which aims to provide transparency and accountability, is being viewed positively by the state.

A joint secretary-level official from the Prime Minister’s Office contacted Ahmed on Monday to discuss his future objectives for the platform. While no specific directive has been issued yet, Ahmed noted that the outreach from both the administration and the city authorities marks a significant step forward in addressing the grievances raised on his site.