3 technocrat ministers, 3 PM advisers resign as election approaches

3 technocrat ministers, 3 PM advisers resign

Two technocrat ministers and one state minister, along with three of the prime minister’s advisers have submitted resignation letters on orders from Sheikh Hasina ahead of the election.

They may still work until the resignation letters are accepted, Cabinet Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain said on Monday.

They include Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman, Post and Telecommunications Minister Mustafa Jabbar and State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam.

Apart from them, Mashiur Rahman, the prime minister’s economic affairs adviser, Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, power, energy and mineral resources adviser, and International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi submitted resignation papers as well, confirmed Mahbub.

“There’s a process to make the resignation effective. We’ve begun the process,” Mahbub said, but could not confirm when the process will end.

A gazette will be issued after accepting the resignation, he said.

The other advisers to the prime minister are Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Tarique Rahman Siddique and Salman F Rahman. Of them, only Salman is an MP.

Mahbub declined to comment on them, saying it was the Prime Minister’s Office that appointed Joy as the ICT affairs adviser.

“(Papers of) those who were recruited by the Cabinet Division are being processed here.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this month revealed her plans for the upcoming election-time government, saying it will be like the one formed for the 2018 polls.

In 2018, technocrat ministers resigned before the election schedule was announced. Their resignation letters were accepted a month later, just a day before the beginning of the campaign.