Iajuddin resigns as CTG chief: Breakthrough in political stalemate in Bangladesh

President Iajuddin Ahmed has decided to quit as the caretaker (interim) government chief, which was the number one demand of the opposition grand alliance. In addition their second demand was fulfilled; no election is going to happen on the 22nd of January.

Iajuddin Ahmed will remain to be the president. The following crucial decision were made by him:

1. He will appoint a new advisory council within a couple of days. (the present one is of no effect)
2. Till then the senior most member of the current Advisory Council (justice Fazlul Haque) will act as Chief adviser.
3. The new council will set the new election date.

He made some remarkable statements:

1. Voter list making process was flawed
2. The works of judiciary and the administration were questioned
3. The patriotism of the political leaders were questioned


The prelude to the decision as seen by Nazim Farhan Chowdhury:

"UN Sec Gen's representatives announced today that the upcoming election will not be legitimate and withdraw all assistance to the process. Army rank and file, rightly deduced that a illegitimate election = illegitimate government and hence no recognition from UN and hence no peacekeeping duty. That acted as a catalyst to get the supreme leaders do go to Bangabhaban and ask the President to call for emergency."

His advisory council was also on the verge of a revolt, Drishtipat reports:

"Advisers are planning a separate decision if the President sticks by the decision of having the Jan 22 poll"

According to BDNews24:

"Nine advisers to his caretaker government meanwhile resigned Thursday night, BTV said. It was not clear whether they were protesting or just making way for the new chief adviser to form his new cabinet."

Sheikh Hasina in instant reactions to bdnews24.com said the nation had lost so much because of Iajuddin Ahmed's delayed response. She said the Awami League would now wait and see how the reconstitution of the caretaker government went ahead and then decide on its future course of action.

But I don't think this decision was necessary.

In a major post-emergency decision, the government has ordered all satellite-based private television channels to stop broadcasting news programmes and bulletins and all current affairs talk shows. Top TV executives told bdnews24.com that the government's principal information officer (PIO) made "the Bangabhaban decision" known to their newsrooms at around 8pm. They said they had already stopped all news programmes.

It is a clear case of keeping information from the citizen of the country thus impeding freedom of expression.