“Not Awami League or Chhatra League—the government is against granting bail to criminals.”

Home Affairs and Agriculture Adviser Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said that the government is not against the Awami League or Chhatra League, but against granting bail to criminals.

He made the remarks on Sunday (25 January) while responding to questions from journalists during a briefing on overall agricultural issues at the conference room of the Ministry of Agriculture at the Secretariat.

After presenting information on increased production rates of various crops, journalists asked the adviser about the denial of parole to Jewel Hasan Saddam, president of Bagerhat Sadar Upazila Chhatra League, following the deaths of his wife and nine-month-old child. The incident has gone viral on social media.

The issue has drawn criticism of the government from the general public.

However, the adviser was unwilling to answer questions unrelated to agriculture. When journalists again raised the issue of Saddam’s parole, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury replied, “No, I will not answer anything other than agriculture.”

At that point, one journalist said, “But you are also the Home Affairs adviser.”

The adviser responded, “No, I will call [a briefing] when it is time for Home Affairs.”

When another journalist said, “You are accountable,” the Home Affairs adviser replied, “No, I am not accountable. Today I have called this briefing for agriculture. I will not speak about anything other than agriculture.

You should ask about agriculture. You do not talk about farmers’ problems, but these are the real issues.”

When his attention was drawn to the controversy over denying bail to members of Chhatra League or the Awami League, he said, “The government is not against the Awami League or Chhatra League; it is against granting bail to criminals.”