Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul apologises for any 'hurt caused on duty'

He expresses regret just ahead of parliamentary polls

Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam has expressed regret if his conduct while on duty has hurt anyone.

He made the remarks on Monday at the Foreign Service Academy while briefing journalists on the 10th special meeting of the Advisory Council.

“If anyone has felt distressed, I say from the bottom of my heart, I am sorry,” he said.

Calling the briefing possibly his “last one”, Shafiqul hoped the next press officers would continue to cooperate with journalists as he and members of his team did.

“News must remain accessible to everyone. Everyone has the right to know what the government is doing,” he said.

The press secretary was trolled on social media on many occasions for his comments.

He has often shared on social media the concerns of his loved ones about his safety over social media responses to his comments.

Shafiqul said the Advisory Council approved the drafts of the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework Policy-2026 and the National Fisheries Policy-2026.

The Advisory Council meeting also approved a proposal to deploy personnel from the Bangladesh Armed Forces on deputation to the Qatar Armed Forces.

Before the Advisory Council meeting, secretaries met Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, Shafiqul said.

Yunus mainly spoke about past flawed elections with the secretaries, reiterating his commitment to hold a free, peaceful, and credible election.

“This election has made extensive use of technology, so the chief advisor expects it to be much better than any previous elections,” he said.