Momen served legal notice to resign within 48 hrs
A Supreme Court lawyer has served legal notice to foreign minister AK Abdul Momen seeking his resignation within 48 hours.
The foreign minister has been requested to resign within 48 hours of serving the notice. Legal action will be taken if Momen fails to resign, the notice states.
The legal notice has been served by Supreme Court lawyer Md Ershad Hossain. He sent the notice to the Ministry of Foreign affairs by mail on Sunda
It states that the person submitting the notice (Ershad Hossain) came to know through the media on the afternoon of 19 August that the foreign minister had urged the Indian government to keep the current prime minister in power by any means.
The notice further stated that during a Janmashtami programme at the JM Sen Hall in Chattogram, AK Abdul Momen said, ““I went to India and said that Sheikh Hasina has to be kept in power.” By saying this Abdul Momen has breached the oath he took. Apart from the violation of the constitution, his statement is an attack on the sovereignty of the country.
At the Janmashtami programme in Chattogram on Thursday foreign minister AK Abdul Momen said he went to India and requested them to do “whatever it needs” to keep the current government in power.
A day later, while explaining his statement at Tungipara in Gopalganj on 16 August, the foreign minister said, “I said, we seek stability (of the government) of Sheikh Hasina. It would be great if you (India) help us in this regard.”
Such a statement from the foreign minister has drawn huge controversy in the country’s politics. Different political parties have given harsh reactions and expressed their discontent over the foreign minister's statement. Many are saying it has tarnished the image of the country.
Road transport and bridges minister and Awami League’s general secretary Obaidul Qader said regarding the foreign minister’s comment that they had friends in foreign countries, not masters. People are the source of Awami League’s power.
Abdur Rahman, a presidium member of Awami League claimed Abdul Momen is not a member of Awami League.
BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said the foreign minister had not withdrawn his statement, rather, he reaffirmed that. The people who rely on the power of others have no right to remain in power.
Jatiya Party chairman and deputy leader of the opposition at the Jatiya Sangsad (parliament) GM Quader said foreign minister’s request to India to keep the current government in power had questioned the country’s sovereignty. The government cannot avoid the responsibility of the remark made by the foreign minister.
However, the foreign ministry of India has not issued any official reaction over Momen’s comments. However, according to the sources of the ministry, Momen’s comment is “embarrassing and perturbing” for India.