Proving right the recent speculations, four advisers yesterday resigned on instructions of the military-backed caretaker government that has only three days to complete its one year in office. Law Adviser Mainul Hosein, Food Adviser Tapan Chowdhury, Health Adviser Major General (retd) ASM Matiur Rahman and Industry Adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury stood down on advice of Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, said sources close to the administration.
Mainul and Tapan told reporters that they quit as that's what the government had wanted. They met the chief adviser and tendered their resignation late in the afternoon.
Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim told reporters that the four had resigned on personal grounds. He said the Chief Adviser's Office sent the resignation letters to the president's office yesterday.
The number of advisers quitting in the wake of controversy now stands at five, almost half the current advisory council that took office on January 12 last year.
Earlier on December 26, Ayub Quadri resigned his position as the education adviser following a huge public outcry over theft of two age-old relics.
Their replacements are to be sworn in today at the Bangabhaban, the chief adviser's press secretary said.
Meanwhile, policymakers of the caretaker government were searching for persons to fill in for the five in the remaining months of the interim regime supposed to hand over power to an elected government by December this year.
After the caretaker government system was introduced in 1996, this is the second instance of a group of advisers leaving their office before completion of job.
The incumbent caretaker administration came after the one headed by President Iajuddin Ahmed had failed to create an atmosphere conducive to holding the ninth parliamentary election as per the constitutional provisions.
Amid growing political violence and public displeasure, Iajuddin Ahmed and his advisers resigned en masse on January 11 last year, declaring the state of emergency and cancelling the ninth parliamentary polls scheduled for January 22.
Immediately after coming to power, the present government backed by the army launched a crackdown on ''the corrupt political bigwigs and businessmen". The anti-graft drives were greeted with popular acclamation, but some of the measures led to panic among the business community.
But its failure to contain soaring prices of essentials and role in
loaning a collection of artefacts to a French museum put a dent in the public support it has been enjoying. Some of the advisers soon appeared to be a lightning rod for controversy and it did not help things either.
People's frustration over the interim regime became obvious after the recent crisis of food grains.
It has been widely speculated in the past few days that the council of advisers might be reshuffled at any moment.
Sources close to the caretaker government's policymakers said Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed might address the nation on January 12. In his speech, he would seek to assure people that his government is committed to mitigate their sufferings and resignations of the advisers would only help him avoid his words being perceived as empty rhetoric, added the sources.
Political analysts and politicians however observed that it would be difficult for the interim regime to improve the overall situation by only brining changes in the council of advisers.
Faced with the task of running the government for around two years, the caretaker government had tried before to expand the council but failed for what described as constitutional obligation not to have more than 11 advisers including the chief adviser.
The policymakers are now considering appointing assistants to the advisers to reduce the burden of task ahead, sources said.
RESIGNAITON
The first time the caretaker government saw resignation of its advisers was in December last year when four advisers--Akbar Ali Khan, Lt Gen (retd) Hasan Mashhud Chowhdury, Advocate Sultana Kamal and CM Shafi Sami--stood aside protesting the then chief adviser's dubious role in resolving the long-standing political bickering.
None of the caretaker governments formed in 1996 and 2001 had to reshuffle its cabinet and they successfully completed their constitutional responsibilities by extending supports to the Election Commission for holding the parliamentary polls within the specified timeframe.
But the current government that assumed power at the end of the specified timeframe for holding the polls since dissolution of the immediate past parliament began its journey initially with unlimited tenure.
Fakhruddin Ahmed was sworn in as the chief adviser on January 12 while his advisers later. Mainul, Geeteara and Tapan took oath as advisers on January 13 and Matiur on January 16.
Sources said Mainul who was attending a function of the Police Week 2007 was sent messages asking him to show up at the Chief Adviser's Office. There he was communicated the government's desire for him to quit.
Queried about the news of his resignation at around four in the evening, Matiur said he had not resigned and requested the reporters not to ask him 'embarrassing' questions.
Later, coming out of his office at the health ministry at around 5:15pm, the former military physician, being pressed by the reporters, said: “What you have seen on television screen is true. Power does not last forever.”
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