Reasonable tenure for interim govt: Chief Adviser holds talks with top editors

The CA did not mention any specific timeline, but he listened to all editors

Dhaka, Sept 03 - Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday wanted to hear from top editors of the country regarding a “reasonable” tenure for the interim government, as discussed with political parties earlier.

The Chief Adviser did not mention any specific timeline, but he listened to all, noting that it is a “lifetime opportunity” to repair the state and strengthen the institutions.

“It should be between two and three years,” Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted one of the leading editors as saying.

Some of the editors talked about two years as a “reasonable” tenure for the interim government, while some said the interim government’s reform initiatives should determine the reasonable tenure.

Deputy Press Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder said, the Chief Adviser earlier wanted to know from political parties what reforms should be prioritised.

“Today, editors shared their ideas. The discussion was recorded and each adviser will listen to the opinions shared by the editors,” he said while briefing reporters at Foreign Service Academy.

One of the major outcomes of the discussion with the political parties was a reasonable timeframe for the government to carry out reforms before the next election.

The Press Secretary said, the Chief Adviser and the editors talked about national unity and laid emphasis on proper reforms.

“Political parties talked about reasonable time. He (Chief Adviser) wanted to know directly from the editors what that means,” added the Press Secretary.

Issues related to rewriting or amending the constitution were also discussed.

“It’s a major opportunity and this opportunity needs to be utilised properly,” Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted Prof Yunus as saying.

There was also a proposal to form a Media Commission in the meeting. Twenty editors joined the meeting.

The meeting was held at the state guest house Jamuna. Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman, The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam, The New Age Editor Nurul Kabir, Daily Jugantor Editor Saiful Alam, The Business Standard Editor Enam Ahmed, and Kalbela Editor Santosh Sharma, among others, were present at the meeting.-UNB