Advisors do not need ‘safe exit’, but nation does, says Asif Nazrul

The law advisor says the nation needs a safe exit from “a terrifying, sick, self-destructive state structure”

Law Advisor Asif Nazrul has dismissed claims that some advisors of the interim government are seeking a “safe exit”, saying none of the advisors require one.

“Our advisors do not need any safe exit,” he said, adding: “But as a nation, we do need a safe exit -- from a terrifying, sick, self-destructive state structure.”

He made the remarks on Saturday during a meeting organised by the law ministry, titled Draft National Human Rights Commission Ordinance 2025.

The issue surfaced after Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), recently claimed that several interim government advisors were looking for a “safe exit”.

Echoing him, the party’s chief organiser for the northern region, Sarjis Alam, said on Tuesday in Naogaon: “There’s no safe exit for humans except death.”

Neither Nahid nor Sarjis specified which advisors they referred to, but their comments prompted swift responses.

On Wednesday, Environment Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan said she was not seeking any “exit”.

“Many storms have come before, and I stayed in the country through them,” she said. “I’ll spend the rest of my life here with all of you.”

Addressing Nahid’s remarks, Rizwana added: “It’s for him to prove what he said. It’s not my concern or something I need to refute.”

Joining the debate on Saturday, Nazrul said: “You all know there’s much talk about safe exits. But we advisors know very clearly that none of us needs one.

“What we truly need is a national safe exit -- from a decayed and self-destructive state system.”

Speaking on the proposed Human Rights Commission Ordinance, he criticised the past government’s appointment practices.

“The president never appointed a chief justice independently,” he said.

“It was always done per the prime minister’s will. We hope this new human rights law will enable a truly strong Human Rights Commission.”

He added, “Building a strong commission isn’t just the duty of the government, lawyers, or the attorney general -- it’s every citizen’s responsibility. I believe we can fulfil it better than before.”