Desk Report:
The Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary, Shafiqul Alam, said that Transparency International Bangladesh’s (TIB) recent claim about the number of entourage of Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly is ‘based on incorrect information and taken from unverified social media posts’.
In a status posted on his verified Facebook page on Friday, the Press Secretary mentioned, ‘The current delegation of the Chief Advisor is significantly smaller than the previous Hasina era and is much more focused, hardworking and result-oriented.’
Shafiqul Alam also said, ‘TIB has been working for transparency for a long time and is a reputable civil society organization. However, it is disappointing to make public statements based on rumors and fake information on social media instead of verified information.’
According to the information provided by the Press Secretary, the number of members of this time’s delegation is 62 – which is not more than 100 as claimed by TIB. Last year, the delegation consisted of 57 members, but this did not include six prominent politicians who traveled at the invitation of the chief advisor.
Shafiqul Alam said that about one-third of the entourage this time are security officers, who are responsible for ensuring the security of the chief advisor and other top officials. “This security arrangement has become essential due to the open threats from Awami League supporters. Many officers are on duty for up to 16 hours a day,” he said.
The press secretary added that the Bangladesh delegation has held at least a dozen high-level meetings in the past five days, including bilateral meetings with more than six heads of state and government.
In a Facebook post, the press secretary said, “The purpose of the delegation is to highlight the interests of the people of Bangladesh in the world’s most important diplomatic forum like the UN General Assembly, where global decisions are taken.”
Shafiqul Alam noted that this year’s General Assembly session holds special significance for Bangladesh, at a time when “various quarters are trying to destabilize the country and are spreading propaganda about the July uprising.”
The press secretary alleged that the Awami League and its allies are spending billions of taka to spread false information about the interim government and the July uprising and lobbying abroad, which also has the tacit support of some international quarters.
Shafiqul Alam said that the list of entourage also includes people who will represent Bangladesh at the Rohingya conference to be held on September 30. This proves that Dhaka continues to lead on urgent humanitarian and security issues.
In addition, some advisors are also joining meetings with global counterparts outside the formal delegation. In addition, leaders of the country’s popular political parties have also been invited to the visit, with several officials assisting them.
The press secretary said, “This inclusive step sends a clear message that Bangladesh is firmly committed to a peaceful and democratic transition.”
