Chief adviser’s special assistant Khoda Baksh Chowdhury resigns

Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser for the home ministry, has resigned. His resignation letter has been accepted by the president. The chief adviser’s press wing disclosed the information on Wednesday night.

A notification issued by the Cabinet Division said the president had accepted the resignation of Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, who had been appointed special assistant with the status of state minister and entrusted with exercising executive authority at the home ministry under the interim government.

In November last year, interim government chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus appointed three individuals as special assistants with the rank of state minister. They were tasked with assisting the advisers of the home, health and education ministries and were given executive authority in those ministries.

Former inspector general of police Khoda Baksh Chowdhury was assigned responsibility for the home ministry. Professor Syedur Rahman, vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, was given responsibility for the health ministry, while Professor M Aminul Islam was assigned the education ministry. Aminul Islam resigned a few months ago. Khoda Baksh Chowdhury has now stepped down.

Inqilab Mancha has been staging protests demanding the arrest of the killers of Shaheed Sharif Osman Bin Hadi. At a rally at Shahbagh on 20 December, the organisation gave 24 hours to home adviser Lieutenant General Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, retired, and special assistant Khoda Baksh Chowdhury to show progress on the arrest of Osman Hadi’s killers, threatening to demand their resignations if no response was given within the timeframe.

Meanwhile, there has been widespread public discussion about the country’s law and order situation. Against this backdrop, Khoda Baksh Chowdhury resigned at night. However, the specific reason for his resignation was not immediately known.