Dhaka, Jan 24: Bangladesh's Attorney General A J
Mohammad Ali on Wednesday resigned, the latest casualty of a drive by
the interim government under the new Chief Advisor Fakhruddin
Ahmed to "de-politicise" the administration.
"I have tendered my resignation letter to President
Iajuddin Ahmed today," Ali told reporters without giving any
reasons for the decision.
Law Ministry officials confirmed his resignation, which
came two days after the controversial Chief Election Commision
M A Aziz stepped down due to pressure from the interim
government.
There was no statement from Bangabhaban Presidential
Palace on whether his resignation was accepted but the
development was widely expected after Fakhruddin Ahmed's
address to the nation last week saying his non-party
government had planned a series of steps to de-politicise
the administration.
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed's Awami League
and its allies had been for long demanding Ali's resignation
along with the reconstitution of the election commission as
they claimed that the officials favoured Khaleda Zia's
Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Aziz, who earlier was on leave, resigned on Monday, two
days after law advisor Moinul Hosein said the government
wanted the election commissioners to resign "voluntarily" to
pave ways for a free and credible election.
Bureau Report
First Published: Wednesday, January 24, 2007, 00:00