Press Secretary Outlines Interim Government’s Achievements

The Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Shafiqul Alam, has stated that no government in Bangladesh’s history has achieved as much in such a short period as the Interim Government has in the past fifteen months.

He made the remarks in a post on his verified Facebook account on Tuesday morning (18 November).

In his post, he wrote that the Interim Government is a government in name only, describing it as a kind of NGO-village. Many consider it the weakest administration in the country’s history— so weak that even the United States did not show interest in a reciprocal tariff agreement. Its leaders often appear fearful or incompetent— failing to maintain order on the streets at a time when over 1,700 protests occurred in 500 days. They seem inexperienced, struggling even to pass laws, let alone implement them.

He added that the Interim Government repeatedly backed down under pressure from relatively small or lesser-known groups. Over the past 15 months, it has faced allegations of inaction and incompetence. Many mockingly refer to it as a “do-nothing, butter-eating group” that came to power by chance, failed to deliver, and is now seeking a face-saving exit. Yet, looking back, I can firmly say that this has been one of the most significant governments in Bangladesh in recent decades. It has achieved almost all of its goals.

The achievements of the Interim Government he highlighted include:

Peace and stability have been restored.
Post-revolution reprisals were halted.
The US tariff agreement was completed without hiring any lobbying firm.
A record number of laws were passed in just 15 months, including comprehensive labour reforms.
The July Declaration created a historic new platform, and the July Charter may reshape Bangladesh’s political landscape for future generations.
The Supreme Court has established authority over lower courts, making it harder for future governments to weaponise bail or legal cases.
A top global port operator signed the Laldia Terminal agreement, laying the foundation for industrial transformation— the largest European investment to date.
A new foreign policy framework has positioned Bangladesh at the centre of the Indo-Pacific region.
The economy has stabilised and returned to a path of growth.
Looting in the banking sector has been halted; the currency remains stable, and inflation is under control— with food inflation falling from 14 percent to 7 percent.
Accountability for past repression has begun, bringing a long-awaited sense of justice. Sheikh Hasina has been shown her position.
RAB now operates under the law, and intelligence agencies have stepped back from harassing dissenters.
Freedom of expression and press freedom have been restored.
There has not been a single reported staged “crossfire” incident in the past 16 months.

He concluded by saying that, as far as history shows, no government in Bangladesh has achieved so much in so short a time as the Interim Government (IG) has in these fifteen months.

Khaborwala/TSN