The second phase of the interim government officially began on Thursday with its primary focus now set on delivering a free, fair, and neutral national election to the people.
The announcement was made during a press conference at the Secretariat following a meeting of the Advisory Council.
Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, shared the update, stating that Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus had made the remarks during the meeting.
According to the Press Secretary, Professor Yunus said in his opening speech that the first phase of their government ended on August 5. A letter was sent to the Election Commission on Wednesday requesting the national election be held before the start of Ramadan in February. With this, the government has now entered its second phase. However, simultaneous reforms and judicial processes will continue, he added.
Two congratulatory proposals were adopted during council meeting. Commerce Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin was commended for his leadership in reducing counter-tariffs imposed by the United States– from 35% down to 20%.
Cultural Adviser Mostofa Sarwar Farooki was also congratulated for successfully organising a month-long commemoration of the July uprising anniversary.
Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam shared performance statistics of the interim government, noting that since assuming office on August 8 last year, the Advisory Council has made 315 decisions across meetings up to July 31. Of those, 247 have been implemented– an implementation rate of 78.41%, which he described as a record for any government since the country’s independence.
He also mentioned that out of the 121 urgent recommendations made by the 11 reform commissions, 16 have already been implemented, 85 are currently in progress, 10 are partially implemented, and discussions are ongoing about the feasibility of the remaining 10.
A significant tribute was also announced during the meeting. The Ministry of Education will introduce an award in the name of Meherin Chowdhury, a teacher at Milestone School and College, who tragically died in the recent military aircraft crash in Uttara, but braved to rescue children. Two teachers and an assistant lost their lives in the incident, and the award will honour Meherin’s sacrifice.
The council also approved renaming Gazipur Digital University to University of Frontier Technology Bangladesh, following public demand.
Lastly, a new regulation is being formulated to ensure fair financial assistance to the families of those martyred in the July uprising. The Press Secretary noted that the guidelines will clarify the financial entitlements of spouses, parents, and other family members to avoid future disputes.
