The four new reform commissions have yet to appoint members even three weeks after their announcement by the interim government.
The announcement of the government鈥檚 decision to set up the four new commissions for health, labour rights, mass media and women鈥檚 affairs came on October 17.
The interim government鈥檚 spokesperson Syeda Rizwana Hasan, addressing a press conference on the day, had said that the council of advisers had decided to set up the new commissions.
Rizwana, also the adviser to the environment, forest, climate change and the water resources ministries, had also said that the names of the full commissions would be announced in seven to 10 days.
The government earlier established six reform commissions with chairs and seven to nine members each, 22 days after the chief adviser Muhammad Yunus announced their formation on September 11.
Rizwana on October 17 named National Professor AK Azad Khan, journalist and columnist Kamal Ahmed, Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies executive director Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmed and Nari Paksha executive council member Shireen Parveen Haque as the heads of the reforms commissions on health, mass media, labour and women鈥檚 affairs, respectively.
All the four heads told 抖阴精品 on Wednesday that representatives of the interim government had only received their verbal consent.
National Professor Azad said that he initially expressed reluctance due to his busy schedule.
鈥榃hen I was told that Professor Yunus wanted me on board, I gave my verbal consent. However, I have not yet received any formal invitation,鈥� he said.
BILS executive director Sultan said that he was unaware of any further developments.
鈥業 don鈥檛 even know who the members of the labour commission will be,鈥� he added.
Rights activist Shireen and journalist Kamal echoed Azad and Sultan鈥檚 sentiments.
Following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5 amid a student-mass uprising, Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus-led interim government was formed on August 8.
In a televised address to the nation on September 11, marking one month since taking office, Yunus announced the heads of six reform commissions on the constitution, judiciary, electoral process, police, public administration, and the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The interim government established the reform commissions to drive state reformation in the wake of the recent political transition.
On October 3 and 7, the Cabinet Division issued separate gazette notifications announcing the members of these commissions.
According to the gazettes, the reform commissions must submit their proposal reports to the chief adviser by January 1-4, 2025.
The new reform commissions will be required to complete their tasks within 90 days of the publication of the gazette notifications.
Md Mahmudul Hossain Khan, secretary for coordination and reforms at the Cabinet Division鈥攖he sole authority to issue gazettes regarding the reform commissions鈥攖old 抖阴精品 on Thursday that his office was still unaware of any progress concerning the new reform commissions.
Rizwana could not be reached by telephone for comments. She also did not respond to a text message on the issue in two days ending Friday evening.