Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Apurba Jahangir on Tuesday said Adviser Mahfuj Alam's recent Facebook post was entirely his personal opinion and things were made clear in his follow-up Facebook post.
“It is entirely his (Mahfuj) personal opinion. He shared another post from his Facebook account where he made things clear,” he said while responding to a question about the recent Facebook post which drew reactions from India.
Clarifying further, Apurba said the Facebook post was deleted later and stressed that it was not government’s opinion what Mahfuj shared from his verified Facebook account.
Spokesperson of India’s Ministry of External Affairs Randhir Jaiswal, while responding to a question in a weekly briefing on December 20, said they have taken this up with the Bangladesh government.
"We have actually strongly registered our protest on this issue. We understand that the post that you referred to has been taken down. We would like to remind all concerned to be mindful of their public comments," Jaiswal said.
In his follow-up Facebook post, Adviser Mahfuj Alam said the nation lives on imagination and the state on institutions.
Read: India should recognise July uprising, democratic struggle: Mahfuj
“The imagination and articulation in line with history, culture, and civilization are necessary elements for reinvigorating the spirit of the nation. Yes, the state and its functionaries demand prudence and pragmatism,” he said.
Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and Assistant Press Secretary Suchismita Tithi were also present at the media briefing.