Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today told reporters after a meeting of the Council of Advisers at the Secretariat in the capital. Photo: PID

DHAKA, Aug 7, 2025 (BSS)- Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam today said the interim government has launched second phase of its work with an aim to present a free, fair and acceptable election.

“The interim government has started it’s second phase work after August 5 with the main task to hold a free, fair and acceptable election,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Council of Advisers at the Secretariat here.

The Press Secretary said along with the elections, reforms and trials are also the government's priority tasks. 

"Reforms and trials are also included in the works of the government. For this reason, the Chief Adviser has given necessary instructions to all concerned," he added.
 
In was the first meeting of the Council of Advisers in this second chapter held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Chief Adviser Prof. DR Muhammad Yunus in the chair.

“Many important decisions were taken in the meeting,” Alam said.

He said the meeting thanked the Commerce Adviser for his efforts to reduce US tariff. The meeting also thanked the Cultural Affairs Adviser for smoothly implementing various programmes commemorating the July Uprising.

The election process has begun yesterday with a formal letter sent to the Election Commission from the Chief Adviser's Office,  Alam said adding that the Election Commission is responsible for fixing the date of the election. 

"Now the Election Commission will fix the election date, and they will take all initiative to hold a fair, impartial and acceptable election," he said.

The press secretary said the government is also sincerely considering how to involve the police, Ansar, BDR and the Army more in the upcoming election.

Alam said, the country's food stock was 1.8 million tonnes when the deposed Sheikh Hasina government was in power last year. Now country’s food stock is 2.1 million tonnes. 

About the law and order the Press Secretary said, the law and order situation has been improved during the interim government. 

Law and order became normal over the last one year as the army have been given magisterial power since the interim government took office.

Noting that the interim government formed seven reform commissions, the Press Secretary said, according to the proposals of the commissions, 16 out of 121 proposals have already been implemented, while 85 proposals are in the process of implementation.

The remaining 10 are being examined to know whether those are implementable, he said. 

Alam said there was a long-standing demand for changing the name of Gazipur Digital University. Today's meeting has decided to change its name as Gazipur Frontier Technology University.

The committee also gave final approval to the draft of the Gazipur Digital University (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025, after vetting by the Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Division, the press secretary said. 

Alam said four billion dollars of foreign debt has been paid and foreign reserves have increased during the interim government. 

Replying to a question, he said: "We want the trial to be completed in presence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Our foreign adviser also said that efforts will continue to bring her back to the country."

Referring to the investigative reports of BBC and Al Jazeera, he said all have seen in those reports how Sheikh Hasina ordered firing on protesters to kill them. Sheikh Hasina will be tried on the basis of those evidences, he said. 

Shafiqul Alam said, in the previous national elections about 8 lakh members of the law enforcing agencies were deployed. 

"The government is seriously considering whether 40,000 to 50,000 more forces and 60,000 more army men could be deployed during the next general election," Alam said. 

He said from August 8, 2024 to July 31, 2025, the interim government has taken 315 decisions. 

"Out of those, 247 decisions were implemented, which is about 78.41 percent. And this is the highest in the last 50 years, which is a record for any government after the independence," he said.

About the level playing field in election, the Press Secretary said none will have any complaint when the date of election will approach.