Interim Govt issues statement to avoid confusion over adviser Mahfuj Alam’s remarks

The interim government has expressed concern that Information and Broadcasting Adviser Mahfuj Alam’s recent statement, "The cabinet will close in November", may cause confusion.

To clarify, the government issued a statement emphasising that the Advisory Council will continue to perform its duties until the elected government formally assumes office.

This means that even after November, the Advisory Council’s meetings will continue as usual and reform initiatives will not be halted.

The statement comes a day after Mahfuj Alam spoke at the 'Meet the Reporters' event organised by the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).

The interim government has announced the 13th parliamentary elections in February. Ahead of these elections, the BNP has already called for the government to be given the status of a caretaker administration.

At the DRU event, Mahfuj Alam commented on the limited time available for implementing reforms stating, "The timeframe we had was three months. Now, perhaps only one month remains. The measures to be taken must be approved in cabinet or implemented through policies or ordinances."

"We will not be able to do this after November because the cabinet will close and the cabinet meeting will conclude. After the Election Commission assumes responsibility, cabinet meetings will likely not convene," he added.

Following the publication of Mahfuj Alam’s remarks, the interim government noted that some confusion had arisen regarding the Advisory Council’s activities.

In the statement, the government clarified, "It is not correct to assume that reform measures and policy drafting must be completed by November. Reform activities will continue at full pace."

Regarding the Advisory Council’s ongoing role, the statement further clarified, "The Advisory Council will continue to perform its regular duties until responsibility is formally handed over to the elected government and its meetings will continue to be held regularly."