Bangladesh’s situation ‘close to normal’ but there are ‘some challenges’, says Chief Adviser’s aide

Dhaka, Aug 21 (PTI) Bangladesh’s current situation is “close to normal” but there are “some challenges”, a top official said on Wednesday, asserting that free and fair elections will be held after bringing “deeper reforms” in the violence-hit country.

Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser of the interim government Shafiqul Alam made the remarks during an interaction with the media at the Foreign Service Academy here.

When asked about the current situation in Bangladesh and if it is returning to normalcy, Alam said, “What Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has been saying to foreign journalists, ‘you visit all the places like rural areas or cities outside Dhaka or industrial area, You look at situation yourself and judge if it is normal or not”.

“We think the situation is normal…there are some challenges,” he said, adding, all police stations have reopened and they have resumed their duty.

“We think, it (situation) is close to normal,” Alam added.

Asked when will the elections be held, the press secretary said free and fair elections will be held after “deeper reforms” are done in Bangladesh.

After unprecedented anti-government protests which reached a crescendo on August 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country, even as protesters had termed the fall of the government and her departure a “day of victory”.

She landed in India on August 5 and is currently staying there, even as her over two-week-long presence in India has given rise to multiple speculation.

More than 600 people have been killed in the protests in Bangladesh since mid-July against a controversial quota system in government jobs.

Alam also said that the UK High Commissioner and Japanese envoy in Dhaka Wednesday met the Chief Adviser who sought their support in the ‘reconstruction’ of Bangladesh.