Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser Shafiqul Alam has said that good governance and reforms cannot be achieved overnight, noting that in some countries such reforms took more than a decade of discussions.

He said the national election will be held in the first half of February, adding that the Chief Adviser and other advisers are actively working to ensure it.

There’s no uncertainty about the election. Discussions on reforms may take place afterward,” he said while addressing a programme organised by the Citizen Platform at a city hotel on Saturday afternoon.

Regarding the voting system, Shafiqul said if political parties fail to take a decision, the interim government will make one.

Responding to criticism that farmers, women and workers were not consulted on the July Charter, he questioned, “Don’t political parties represent these people?”

Shafiqul also urged political parties to take a clear stance regarding ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Everyone must make their position clear. Sheikh Hasina again said today that those who took part in the July movement are terrorists. Awami League wants to return to power by branding 180 million people as terrorists and committing killings in the name of fighting terrorism,” he said.

He noted that creating employment will be a major challenge for the next government as artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market.

Mentioning that revamping development projects will also be a challenge, Shafiqul said, “Five billion dollars have been invested in railway projects — all of which somehow connect to Gopalganj. These were done under Sheikh Hasina’s corrupt system.”