BNP, Jamaat rushed to place loyalists in administration: Information Adviser

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami hurriedly pushed their loyalists into administrative positions following the formation of the interim government, Information Adviser Mahfuj Alam alleged on Sunday.

He said both the parties initially supported giving the government as much time as needed for reforms, but immediately after securing appointments by December, they began a campaign of non-cooperation.

Mahfuj Alam made these remarks on Sunday at a dialogue titled “Self-censorship and Managing Complaints in the Media: Political and Policy Perspectives” at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital.

The event was organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS), with support from the UK Government and The Asia Foundation, where the adviser attended as guest of honour.

Addressing the session, Mahfuj Alam elaborated on the interim government’s stance regarding issues such as the broadcasting policy, journalists’ wage board, and autonomy for BTV (Bangladesh Television) and Bangladesh Betar (radio).

He also expressed his frustration at the lack of cooperation from political parties and civil servants.

“In Bangladesh, everyone works for group interests, not national interests,” Mahfuj Alam said. “There is little concern about what would produce good laws or sound policies.”

Speaking on the mindset of civil servants, this adviser remarked, “The bureaucrats are waiting for the next government. Everyone is waiting for the next government. That is the weakness of a transitional government.”

Highlighting what he described as a major crisis for the interim administration, the adviser said, “For the past month there has been constant speculation that the student advisers (the student leaders’ who joined office) would step down. As a result, their offices have stopped functioning, with work slowing down sharply.”

Admitting that the expectations raised during the July uprising had not been met, Mahfuj Alam noted that entrenched cooperation between the civil–military bureaucracy, the media, sections of civil society, and business elites remained intact.

“The media is still serving the interests of businesspersons,” he observed.

He further remarked that the media cannot be freed from fascist tendencies unless the civil–military bureaucracy itself was freed from fascism.