Five out of seven old advisers of the prime minister resigned on Tuesday
a day after the PM instructed them to quit in the face of mounting
criticism over the appointments of four new advisers.
Public administration affairs adviser HT Imam, energy adviser
Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury, economic affairs adviser Mashiur Rahman,
health and family welfare and social welfare affairs adviser Syed
Modasser Ali and education and political affairs adviser Alauddin Ahmed
submitted their resignations to the prime minister at her office, PM’s
press secretary Abul Kalam Azad told reporters.
At a meeting at Ganabhaban on Monday evening, Sheikh Hasina instructed the five old advisers to quit.
International affairs adviser Gowher Rizvi and security adviser retired
major general Tarique Ahmed Siddique did not attend the meeting at
Ganabhaban, officials said.
HT Imam, Mashiur Rahman, Syed Modasser Ali and Alauddin Ahmed were
appointed advisers on the same day on January 7, 2009 a day after the
Awami League-led government took office on January 6,2009.
Tawfiq-e-Elahi was appointed on January 14, 2009 and Gowher Rizvi on July 9, 2009.
They all enjoyed minister’s status.
None of them were invited to Sheikh Hasina’s poll-time cabinet meeting on Monday.
On Sunday, Jatiya Party Manju faction chairman Anwar Hossain Manju was
appointed as the 11th adviser to the prime minister with the status of
minister.
On November 21, Sheikh Hasina inducted 21 ministers and seven state
ministers, six of them new ministers and two new junior ministers, in
her election time cabinet after dropping 30 old ministers and state
ministers.
The increase in the number of advisers to 12, including Iqbal Sobhan
Chowdhury, who was appointed media adviser in July, drew widespread
adverse criticism including from the media.
And Iqbal Sobhan shoulders double responsibility as media adviser to
prime minister as well as AL president.
On November 21 Shafique Ahmed and Dilip Barua were appointed advisers following their resignation from the cabinet.
On November 18, Hasina recruited Ershad’s Jatiya Party faction leader
Ziauddin Bablu as her adviser with no specific responsibility. (source)