Uncertain over my post for two months: Mahfuj

Information adviser Mahfuj Alam said he has spent the past two months in uncertainty about when he will have to step down. “For the last two months I have been unsure when I will have to leave my post,” he told a dialogue on Sunday, September 28.

He made the remarks at a discussion titled “Self-regulation and complaint management of the media: political and policy perspectives” at the CIRDAP auditorium in the capital. The event was organised by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) with support from the UK Government and The Asia Foundation.

Mahfuj said that while other advisers who assumed office in August last year are still finding their roles unclear, he accepted responsibility amid the possibility that he might be asked to resign the following day. He expressed hope that a Journalism Protection Act would be enacted within the tenure of the current administration.

He urged media outlets to place national interest above sectional or partisan concerns, but stressed that such moves depend on the goodwill and consensus of political parties.

Referring to recent events, Mahfuj alleged that following the August uprising the BNP and Jamaat had divided control of administration and universities. He called on political parties to consider how officials and staff can be supported rather than obstructed so that the government’s work can proceed.

Mahfuj added that from May some political parties began demanding the resignation of student advisers. “Officials are now waiting for the next government, and I too am waiting to step down. I can resign at any time, so there is no point in demanding my ouster,” he said.

He said his appointment was for a short period and that he is doing as much as possible in that time. “We are comparatively young and less experienced; the public will, I hope, be forgiving,” he added.

Mahfuj reiterated that the Journalism Protection Act is in progress and affirmed that efforts will be made to implement it during the current period.