Information Adviser Mahfuz Alam on Sunday said he has been living in uncertainty over his adviser post for the past two months, amid calls from political parties for student advisers to resign since May.
Speaking at a dialogue titled “Self-Regulation and Grievance Management in Media: Political and Policy Perspectives” at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka, organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) with support from the UK government and The Asia Foundation, Mahfuz Alam said, “For the past two months, I have been in uncertainty about when I should step down. I really don’t know when I will leave.”
The adviser said political parties need to consider how those working in advisory roles can contribute constructively rather than obstruct the process. He noted that political groups began demanding the resignation of student advisers from May onward, adding that he could even hear their slogans from his official residence.
Mahfuz Alam also outlined the slow progress of the proposed Journalism Protection Act, which involves 18 steps from draft preparation to final passage as a bill. He said he had instructed the process to begin two months ago, but it is still in the second stage.
He highlighted the unique challenge he faces, saying that while other advisers, appointed in August last year, are still figuring out their roles, he assumed his responsibilities during a period of uncertainty over whether he might have to resign the following day. Despite these challenges, he expressed optimism that the Journalism Protection Act will be enacted during the current government’s tenure.
