We are not another Pakistan

INTERVIEW - MAHFUJ ALAM adviser to the ministry of information and broadcasting, Bangladesh

- BY NAMRATA BIJI AHUJA

HISTORY BOOKS HAVE turned a new page in Bangladesh. The textbooks will now include major political events, such as the uprisings from 1952 to the one last July. Behind this change are efforts by Mahfuj Alam, adviser to the ministry of information and broadcasting, who believes Bangladesh has made a historic break from binary politics. Alam, 28, played a key role in the student-led protests in July 2024 that saw the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government, by unifying people through a cross-spectrum campaign. Literature, history, cinema and activism are powerful tools to connect across ideological lines, he says. “I had long-standing relationships with many segments of society. That’s how I could help—by strategising, choosing where and how protests would happen, even naming them,” he says.

Looking ahead, Alam is cautiously optimistic. Excerpts from an interview:

Q. How are you addressing the concerns of political uncertainty in Bangladesh?

A. After Professor Mohammad Yunus’s speech on the eve of Eid announcing the time frame for general elections (April 2026), there should be no uncertainty. But the BNP is still demanding elections be held in December or January, and some parties siding with it are citing reasons that range from examination dates to the weather. I think this debate will go on, and those fuelling uncertainty will continue to accuse Professor Yunus of trying to hold on to power. But the interim government is waiting for the Consensus Commission to finish consultations with political parties and come out with the July charter. Once that happens, I am sure it will bring more certainty and stability, and election-centric work will begin.

Q. What are your thoughts on inclusive elections?