Govt doesn't support stopping play midway at Shilpakala Academy: CA’s press secretary

The interim government does not support the incident of stopping a play at Shilpakala Academy amidst protests, Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam said today (3 November).

"We condemn this action. We hope, the director general of Shilpakala Academy will look into the matter and investigate to determine what actually transpired," he said at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy this evening.

The play "Nityopuran" by theatre troupe Desh Natak was stopped midway at the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy in Dhaka yesterday after a group of people staged a protest in front of the academy's gate.

The incident came under heavy criticism on social media.

During the press conference today, journalists raised the issue of halting the play at Shilpakala Academy. In response, the press secretary cleared the government's stance on the matter. 

Govt yet to receive official notice from Adani on power supply halt

Speaking at the briefing, Shafiqul Alam said the government has not received any official letter from India's Adani Power Jharkhand Limited regarding the halt in power supply to Bangladesh 

"If this is indeed the case, we strongly condemn it," he told journalists at a press briefing at the Foreign Service Academy today (3 November).

Shafiqul Alam clarified that the current amount owed to Adani is a debt left over from the previous government. 

"In August, we paid Adani $91 million, which was double the amount paid in the previous month. We are actively working on ways to expedite these payments," he said. 

He added that the outstanding debt to Adani now stands at $700 million, which the government is committed to settling promptly. 

"Our banking system is capable of processing international payments without depleting the country's foreign exchange reserves, and our reserves are steadily increasing," he noted.

When asked about the government's efforts to recover the laundered money, Shafiqul Alam said the chief adviser has held discussions on the issue with the heads of several states, as well as representatives from the IMF and World Bank. 

He further mentioned that the Bangladesh Bank governor and finance adviser recently addressed the matter at the IMF and World Bank annual meetings. Regular discussions with ambassadors from various countries are ongoing.

Addressing the recent fire at the Jatiya Party office, Deputy Press Secretary Azad Majumdar said the government condemns all forms of political violence. 

He added, "Political parties should consider that the government has not made any decision regarding the Jatiya Party. The fire incident is a law and order issue, and the police are investigating the matter."

Commenting on the assassination of four national leaders, Shafiqul Alam said, "We mourn the national leaders and honour their contributions." 

He further said the Awami League government had downplayed the legacy of the four national leaders, focusing solely on Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.