Dhaka: Bangladesh’s special assistant to the chief adviser for the health ministry, Sayedur Rahman, has resigned, becoming the second senior official to exit the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government within a week.
The Cabinet Division issued a gazette notification on Tuesday night saying the President has accepted Rahman’s resignation with immediate effect, the Daily Star newspaper reported on Wednesday. The reason behind his decision is not known immediately, it said.
However, Bengali daily Prothom Alo on Wednesday quoted Rahman as saying, “I resigned a month ago. It was accepted on Tuesday. My government service term ended yesterday, Tuesday.” Rahman, a former vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, was appointed special assistant to the chief adviser with the rank of state minister in November last year.
His resignation comes close on the heels of the exit of Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, special assistant to the chief adviser for the home ministry, who stepped down on December 24.
Chowdhury resigned amid growing criticism over the Yunus government’s handling of law and order following the killing of student activist Sharif Osman bin Hadi and the mob lynching of Hindu youth Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh over alleged blasphemy.