Interim Government Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus on Sunday said former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's dictatorship destroyed every institution of the country due to her effort to cling to power.
"Sheikh Hasina has fled the country. Each of the institutions has destroyed due to her autocratic rule. The judiciary has broken down. All democratic rights have been suppressed through a brutal decade-and-a-half-long crackdown," he said while briefing the diplomats stationed in Dhaka at Hotel InterContinental in the capital.
It was the maiden briefing of the chief adviser since the interim government's inception.
Dr Yunus told the diplomats: "I took over a country which was in many ways in a complete mess. In their efforts to cling to power, Sheikh Hasina's dictatorship destroyed every institution of the country."
"Elections were rigged blatantly. Several generations of young people have grown up without exercising their voting rights. Banks were robbed under political patronization. And the state coffer was plundered by abusing power," he said.
Globally renowned Grameen Bank founder Dr Yunus told the international community that the interim government is committed to holding free, fair, and participatory elections soon once "deep reforms" are completed.
"Deep reforms will be carried out in minimum five areas before holding the next general elections. These are reforms of the Election Commission, judiciary, civil administration, security agencies and mass media," he said.
The Chief Adviser mentioned that he took over the responsibility at the request of the students.
Praising the role of students, he said: "Students of no other countries
in our recent memory had to pay so much a price for expressing their
democratic aspirations, dreaming a discrimination-free, equitable and
environmental-friendly nation where human rights of every citizen are
fully protected."
At the beginning of the press conference, Dr Yunus paid his deep respect and homage to all those valiant students and people who made the supreme sacrifice during the recent uprising.
The briefing began at InterContinental hotel at around 1:00pm.
Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam briefed the reporters after the event.
This was the first briefing by the Chief Adviser to diplomats stationed in Dhaka since the interim government's inception.
Over 50 diplomats, including representatives from UN agencies, attended the briefing.
The chief adviser greeted the diplomats during the event.
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