Due to a series of ongoing falsehoods, the Press Wing of the Interim Government’s Chief Advisor, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, has become an object of public satire. The responsibility for this wing lies with the Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam.
On Tuesday (May 20), Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus held a meeting with the heads of the armed forces at the government residence in Jamuna. While the main agenda of the meeting was the issue of a “humanitarian corridor” and the visit of two U.S. military delegations to Bangladesh, the Press Wing reported that the discussion focused on the country’s law and order situation with the heads of the army, navy, and air force.
Present at the meeting at Jamuna were Army Chief General Wakar-uz-Zaman, Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan, and Air Force Chief Air Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan. Also in attendance were Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain, and National Security Advisor Dr. Khalilur Rahman. Questions were raised about the presence of Foreign Affairs Advisor Md. Touhid Hossain in a meeting supposedly about internal law and order.
When asked about his presence, Hossain stated he attended because border issues were to be discussed. His statement directly contradicted the narrative released by the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing. Later, when questioned about the corridor issue, he avoided answering.
Notably, in a press release issued on Tuesday, the Chief Advisor’s Press Wing claimed that the meeting reviewed the country’s law and order situation and that senior officials presented a comprehensive report. The Chief Advisor emphasized the importance of maintaining nationwide stability and praised the actions of certain law enforcement agencies.
However, several internal sources later reported that the primary focus of the meeting was in fact the humanitarian corridor to assist Rakhine and securing the military’s consent for the initiative. Yet, by stating the meeting was about “law and order,” the Press Wing issued a misleading statement, sparking widespread controversy.
