Newly-appointed home ministry adviser replaced in Bangladesh amidst criticism from student leaders

Dhaka: Within three days of his appointment, Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain was replaced as home adviser in the interim government of Bangladesh, amidst criticism of the ex-army officer’s conduct by student leaders, media reports on Saturday said.

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), the state-run news agency, also announced that the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus gave contractual appointments to five secretaries in four ministries and the President’s Office.

Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hussain was replaced as home adviser by Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Friday night, hours after four new advisers, including Jahangir, were sworn into office, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Sakhawat was given the charge of the textiles and jute ministry as the interim government redistributed the portfolios of eight advisers, according to the chief adviser’s press wing. Jahangir Alam will also be holding the portfolio of the agriculture ministry.

The development comes within eight days of the interim government taking charge following the resignation of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India.

Nobel laureate Yunus, 84, took oath as the Chief Adviser of the interim government on August 8 amid violence and chaos days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5.

On Friday, he expanded his team with four advisers taking the total strength of the advisers – all equivalent to ministers – in the interim government’s advisory council rose to 21.

On Saturday, the most surprising of all was the change vis-a-vis Sakhawat, who had hogged the headlines for multiple comments soon after assuming the office of the home adviser.

“A coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement criticised him for some comments while BNP and its three associate bodies demanded his resignation,” the Daily Star news portal said.

Sakhawat, also a former election commissioner, on August 11 had warned all political parties and said, “Now, if you think you’ll take control of the markets and resort to extortion, you can go ahead and do it for a while. But I have requested the army chief to break your legs… I don’t care, go to hell.” Md Mokabbir Hossain, the chairman (senior secretary) of the Bangladesh Energy and Power Research Council (BEPRC), who was appointed as the senior secretary of the public security division on August 14, was transferred as the senior secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology, reads a circular.

The news portal further said that Sakhawat also advised leaders and activists of the Awami League, Hasina’s party, not to do anything that may put their lives in danger, and to reorganise the party with new faces.

The same day, Hasnat Abdullah, one of the key coordinators of the student protests, at a rally said, “We have seen the advisers talking about rehabilitating the murderers [Sheikh Hasina and other Awami League leaders]. We want to remind those advisers that you have come to power through the student-people uprising.

“We will not hesitate to oust you the way we made you advisers,” he had said.

The interim government on Saturday gave contractual appointments to five secretaries in four ministries and the President’s Office.

Meanwhile, according to the BSS, the Ministry of Public Administration said that Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen was appointed Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs while Dr Sheikh Abdur Rashid was made Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division.

Md Ehchanul Haque is the new Secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division while M A Akmal Hossain Azad is appointed as the Secretary of the Ministry of Railways.

Nasimul Gani has been given the responsibility of the President’s Office (Public Division), BSS said.