Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain yesterday said that one of the successes of the interim government is that anyone can now criticize it freely. He acknowledged that the government frequently faces criticism regarding its performance. "Could you have criticised the government in power a year ago or even eight months ago as freely as you can today? If nothing else, this government has achieved at least this: anyone can criticise without fear. This is the essence of democracy," said Touhid. He was speaking at the 27th anniversary celebration of the Diplomatic Correspondents' Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) at a city hotel yesterday. Foreign diplomats, political leaders, and journalists attended the event. Touhid said that Bangladesh is currently undergoing a critical phase. In line with the people's aspirations, the government is striving to implement reforms. While he could not guarantee that the interim government would fulfill all the people's aspirations, he noted that it is working to establish a path toward a democratic and discrimination-free society. He further explained that some reforms must be completed before the elections, while others will continue after. The government is committed to implementing these reforms swiftly to ensure timely elections and the smooth transfer of power to the elected government. The event was attended by Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin, BNP Standing Committee member Amir Khhasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BIMSTEC Secretary General Indra Mani Pandey, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen, EU Ambassador Michael Miller, UN Resident Coordinator Gwyn Lewis, senior journalists, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder, and DCAB members. DCAB President AKM Moinuddin and General Secretary Arifuzzaman Mamun also addressed the event.