Out of 367 recommendations identified by the government from 10 reform commissions for immediate implementation, 37 have already been executed, according to the Chief Adviser’s Office.
Shafiqul Alam, the chief adviser’s press secretary, shared the update at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy auditorium on Thursday afternoon.
He said: “Today there was another significant discussion on the immediate recommendations of 10 out of the 11 reform commissions that are implementable. Last week, we reported that 121 recommendations were under implementation. Today, it was informed that 246 more very important urgent reforms have been added. These are now under implementation, as reported to the cabinet. There are 367 in total, and of these, 37 have already been implemented.”
Out of the 246 new urgent recommendations, 82 are from the Labor Department, he added. Labor and Employment Adviser Brigadier General (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain stated that many of these have reached the final stage, and some have already been carried out.
According to the press secretary, 71 recommendations from the Women’s Commission, 37 from the LGRD Ministry, 33 from the Health Ministry, and 23 from the Information Ministry have been prioritized for immediate action. A total of 37 have been fully implemented, while 14 have been partially implemented. The remaining 316 are still in progress.
He noted that the chief adviser and other advisers have placed significant emphasis on these reforms, and progress will be reviewed at the next meeting. Recommendations requiring urgent action are being prioritized for swift execution.
Probe into surveillance equipment
The interim government has formed a committee to investigate the purchase and use of surveillance equipment in the country. The committee is headed by Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, special assistant on posts, telecommunications, and ICT affairs to the chief adviser.
The committee will examine how the equipment was purchased, from where, at what price, and how it was utilized.
During the briefing, Shafiqul Alam said that during the previous government, some sources claimed the surveillance equipment cost around $300 million, while others estimated $200 million.
On wiretapping, he said: “This government is not doing anything illegal — that is all I can say. The committee will look into how the previous government used wiretapping illegally, from purchases to deployment, and how the civil rights of Bangladeshi citizens were curtailed. The entire issue will be reviewed.”
He added that the report clearly showed that the previous authoritarian government used surveillance tools and spyware to violate citizens’ rights, restrict freedom of speech, and infringe upon constitutional privacy protections. The committee will investigate the procurement process, costs, and suppliers, including reported purchases from Israel.
Police weapons procurement under review
Shafiqul Alam also revealed that a report had been submitted on the procurement of deadly weapons for the police. The matter is under investigation to determine how these weapons were acquired and utilized.
Labor rights cases withdrawn
The advisory council was also informed that during Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, many harassment cases were filed against labor leaders in an attempt to suppress activism. Around 90% of these cases have now been withdrawn.
Public procurement law amendment
He further said discussions were held on public procurement, with a new draft law already sent to the ministry for review before it is presented to the advisory council.
Malaysia visit outcome
Shafiqul Alam reported that Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus’s recent visit to Malaysia was successful and productive. Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia will now receive equal social benefits as locals.
Additionally, Bangladesh has sought Malaysia’s cooperation in establishing a Halal Economic Zone to tap into the $3 trillion global halal market.
Deputy Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder and Senior Assistant Press Secretary Faiz Ahmed were also present at the briefing.
