PM orders technocrat ministers to resign

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the technocrat ministers of her Cabinet to resign.

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader disclosed the matter on Tuesday afternoon.

“The prime minister will address the media on the dialogue with political parties around 12:30pm on November 8. She already ordered technocrat ministers to resign from the Cabinet,” Quader said at Ganabhaban before participating in a dialogue with Islami Oikya Jote and Zaker Party.

The Road Transport and Bridges minister also said Awami League will not attend any dialogue after November 7.

He said the decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting held at Prime Minister's Office (PMO) earlier in the day. 

"The minister will resign today," Obaidul Quader said. 

Who are the ministers?

The technocrat ministers are:Religious Affairs Minister Matior Rahman, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Nurul Islam BSc, Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman, and Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology (ICT) Minister Mustafa Jabbar.

Religious Affairs Minister Matior was elected to parliament for Mymensingh 4 constituency in 1986, 1996, and 2008. On January 12, 2014 the ruling Awami League made him Minister of Religious Affairs.

Nurul Islam was elected to the parliament for Chittagong 9 constituency, in 2008, and was later given the role of Minister of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry in 2015.

Minister Yeafesh Osman, became involved in politics as a member of Bangladesh Chhatra League and later joined Awami League. Osman, also a freedom fighter, was made the State Minister of Science and Technology in 2014 and then upgraded in 2015.

Mustafa Jabbar, best known for the creation of the Bijoy Bangla keyboard in 1988, was appointed as posts, telecommunications and ICT minister in January 2018. The minister was part of several government committees on ICT affairs, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Digital Bangladesh Taskforce.

When will EC announce the schedule for the general polls?

The Election Commission will announce the schedule for the 11th parliamentary election on Thursday.

Previously, on Monday, Jatiya Oikya Front, in a meeting, requested the Election Commission to announce the election schedule after dialogues between political parties and the government have ended.

In response to the request, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) KM Nurul Huda on Tuesday said it will not be possible to defer the announcement of the election schedule but the general polls can be delayed if all parties want to do so.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been holding dialogues with different political parties and alliances regarding the general election, which is scheduled to be held in December.

Dialogues with political parties

The ruling Awami League-led Grand Alliance decided to meet with the parties in an effort to resolve the present political crisis and ensure a peaceful parliamentary election.

On November 1, Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, members of her party, and the Grand Alliance held a dialogue with Jatiya Oikya Front—a newly-formed political alliance, of which BNP is a key member.

The next day, they held talks with Jukta Front and with opposition in parliament Jatiya Party on Monday, November 5.

A dialogue is being held with the Left Democratic Alliance today, Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the prime minister will hold another round of talks with Jatiya Oikya Front as per their request.