He made the remarks at a views-exchange meeting with journalists at the Netrokona Circuit House on Friday (November 7) morning.

“There is no room for confusion about the election. Those who are spreading confusion are accomplices of a degenerate dictatorship. If you observe closely, those who now want to disrupt the election were once beneficiaries of the fallen regime—some may have received plots in Purbachal or other personal benefits. The election will be held in the first half of February,” said Shafiqul Alam.

Acknowledging incidents of unrest, he added, “Bangladesh had experienced some mob violence after July 24. I won’t deny that. But the situation is now largely under control.”

Responding to questions about reforms and the challenges in journalism, the press secretary highlighted the exploitation faced by journalists in the media industry. “Journalists work tirelessly, chasing news day and night. Every television channel uses the footage they collect, earning money from platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Yet journalists get neither recognition nor respect. They’re just given ID cards and told to go work. Journalists must raise their voices against this injustice,” he said.

Referring to recent controversies, Shafiqul Alam said, “The person who made false claims about Ali Riaz has undoubtedly lied and should apologize to the nation. The Consensus Commission has already clarified all related issues in an official press release.”

Criticizing the culture of misinformation in the media, he said, “Many go on television talk shows and blatantly lie. The more lies they tell, the more they are invited. I’ve seen falsehoods about Milestone, St. Martin’s, the citizenship of advisors—even about the army. These lies are spread every day.”

During the event, a group of students submitted a memorandum to the press secretary demanding various reforms. Shafiqul Alam assured them that he would convey their demands to the appropriate authorities.

Following the meeting, he paid tribute to the martyrs by placing a floral wreath at the July Memorial near the city’s Moktarpara Bridge.