Shafiqul Alam is the press adviser to the Bangladesh interim government’s Chief Adviser Prof. Muhammad Yunus. A former journalist who worked with multiple news agencies, Mr. Alam was well known as the Chief of Bureau of AFP in Dhaka for around two decades till the uprising in Bangladesh overthrew the Sheikh Hasina Government. He was appointed to his current position by Mr. Yunus soon after the interim administration was formed in the first week of August 2024. He spoke to The Hindu on the plans for the upcoming elections and the achievements of the interim administration. Excerpts:
What are the achievements of the interim government in the past fifteen months of its existence?
The mandate of the interim government was about carrying out reforms in multiple sectors of the government and the state, ensuring justice and accountability for the July 2024 killings carried out by the Sheikh Hasina government, and holding elections for the smooth transition towards a democratically elected government. We have made tremendous improvements on all three fronts during the past fifteen months. The July Charter has been adopted, and discussions are underway about the possibility of holding a referendum on the Charter. This may happen prior to or even simultaneously with the election.
