THE finance adviser to the interim government, Salehuddin Ahmed, having said on September 29 that the critics of the government are aides of the fascist Awami League that fell on August 5, 2025 is surprising. Such a remark coming from the finance adviser suggests that he is unable to reconcile with the criticism that should, rather, be regarded as something that would guide the government and put it on the right track. The adviser at a programme in Dhaka has come down heavily on the critics of the interim government, noting that such critical narratives encourage the fallen fascist regime. He has referred to a talk show on a television channel, where a guest has described the interim government as 鈥榳orthless,鈥� resenting that the critics have not given the government the credit for stopping the plunder of banks and increasing the foreign exchange reserves. The adviser appears to be conveniently forgetting that a little improvement in the banking sector and a growing foreign exchange reserve do not constitute the whole gamut of governance.
It has already been close to 14 months since the interim government was installed on August 8, 2024. Yet, almost no effective, noticeable improvement has taken place on the political, economic and social fronts, at least to the level it should have taken place in state governance. There have been 11 reforms commissions, five of them have been left in the lurch though. But no significant reforms have taken place on the political front, with the government still holding dialogues with the political parties on how the next government would function and in what shape. There have been a number of reforms recommendations that the government could implement without needing to make much of a change. But, it has not happened. Goods prices have continued to remain high after a brief calm early this year, suggesting indolence on part of the government to make a meaningful intervention. The amount of loans in default has increased to a record high of Tk 4,200 billion by the third quarter of the 2025 financial year whilst there has been no deterrent action against wilful defaulters. The private-sector credit growth declined to record 6.40 per cent in June, the lowest in 22 years, showing a worsening crisis in both the banking sector and the broader business environment. Law and order, which severely declined in the early days of the changed political context, has yet to get back to even a satisfactory level. Mob violence, especially laced with right-wing traits, appears not to cease, with the government remaining almost indifferent. At least 35 people are reported to have been killed extrajudicially in August 2024鈥揓uly 2025, with no government efforts to investigate incidents.
What the finance adviser has said of anyone being critical of the government, rather, reeks of fascist traits that the fallen Awami League government had indulged in for a decade and a half. The adviser had, rather, better mind his business of improving the economy.