Brigadier General (Retd) Dr. M Sakhawat Hossain, Advisor to the Interim Government on Shipping and Labor and Employment, provided in-depth remarks on the nation’s political climate, elections, and workers’ current circumstances during an interview on Thursday, February 20.

According to him, the indications he is receiving about the election schedule are that it will be revealed in October, that elections will take place in December, and that a new government might be established by January. Additionally, he stated that the election is anticipated to take place by the end of this year following urgent reforms and in the first half of next year following comprehensive reforms, as announced by Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

He stated that the Election Commission cannot handle the responsibility of elections on its own, referring to the relationship between the Election Commission and the government. Although presiding officers, the police, and the government must work together, the government’s viewpoint on elections is crucial. He emphasized previous electoral irregularities and claimed that the government had attempted to sway the results of the last few elections in its favor, which had eroded public confidence.

He added that rebuilding public confidence is a difficult task because it hasn’t been done in the past ten years because of a number of irregularities in elections. “This is not a bureaucratic responsibility, it is a difficult responsibility,” he informed the Election Commission.

The names of some Beximco companies linked to loan receipts are largely untraceable. Not even 16 of the Beximco companies that owe money can be located. To put it another way, these businesses have borrowed money, but there isn’t any solid information about them.

“No explanation or report is available about the activities of these loan-taking companies,” stated Sakhawat Hossain, an advisor to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Shipping and Labor and Employment, highlighting the problem of these loans. This is a significant economic issue. “It indicates economic weakness and a continuing dangerous trend of debt if there is no sign of proper utilization of such loans even after taking them,” he continued.

Furthermore, the government has not started any clear guidelines or an investigation into the extent of Beximco’s debt and its effects, which could lead to an economic crisis in the nation.

Regarding the workers’ current predicament, he stated that while the government has not shut down any factories, many have because of businesses that were using bank loans. He pointed out the issues with Beximco’s debt and stated that the company has taken out a Tk 40,000 crore loan, the account for which is unavailable.

According to him, the government’s greatest accomplishment over the past six months is that the state has not failed and that its work is still being done. But things could have gone more smoothly. Additionally, he stated that the current government is in this position due to the sympathy and support of the Bangladeshi people.

He concluded by saying that people will assess the government’s actions in the future and that both positive and negative remarks will be made about it once it leaves office.