Five new advisers sworn in

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FE Team | Published: January 10, 2008 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

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Five advisers were sworn in to replenish the half-vacant Council of Advisers Wednesday evening, a day after four of them quit, reports UNB/bdnews24.com.
The new advisers inducted into the Council of Advisers were former Secretary AMM Shawkat Ali, former Attorney-General AF Hassan Ariff, former Director General of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) Maj Gen (retd) Golam Kader, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Executive Director of Gano Swakkharata, an NGO, and economist Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman.
President Dr Iajuddin Ahmed administered the oath of office to the Advisers at Credential Hall of Bangabhaban at 6:40 pm.
Chief Adviser of the caretaker government Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed and advisers were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
The ceremony started with recitations from the Quran at 6:23pm.
Cabinet Secretary Ali Imam Majumder listed the names of the new advisers and Iajuddin swore them into office.
The programme ended in 10 minutes, followed by a tea party.
The chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force were not invited to the ceremony, he said.
"Diplomats and former advisers were not invited either," he said.
Speaking to the news agency over telephone earlier in the day, Ariff and Rasheda pledged to do their best to help the CG to hold a free, fair election within the scheduled timeframe.
"This is a big responsibility. I need everyone's cooperation," Ariff said.
He said the government would transfer power to an elected government, which is its main responsibility.
"We have to think about a legal framework for this," he said.
Ariff worked under the four-party coalition government as attorney general (AG) since October 14, 2001 before he resigned on April 26, 2005.
The main aim of Rasheda as an adviser to the CG would be to present the nation a free, fair voting.
She said she would be 'very sincere' in properly discharging the responsibilities as an adviser.
The chief executive of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), Rasheda said her appointment as an adviser was confirmed by the high level of government Tuesday night.
In a dramatic turn of events, law adviser Mainul Hosein, health adviser ASM Matiur Rahman, power and food adviser Tapan Chowdhury and industry adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury quit the Fakhruddin administration Tuesday.
Cultural affairs adviser Ayub Quadri was the first to resign his post on December 26, taking responsibility for the loss of two rare Vishnu statues.
Leaders of the country's leading business groups Wednesday said the caretakers should have brought about the changes in the government at least six months back.
Regulatory Reforms Commission chairman Akbar Ali Khan Tuesday said the advisers might have been removed from their posts.
"Government officials are removed from their posts for failure to do their jobs properly. The same thing may have happened to the advisers," Khan said.
"These are routine resignations," he said.
Mainul has often been accused by the media and the public of making outrageous and inconsistent comments on sensitive political topics.
His remarks came at a time when the CG said it was committed to holding a free and fair election by year-end.
Mainul told a private television station Monday that the Fakhruddin Ahmed-led government would live up to its pledges that included curbing corruption and delivering a flawless democracy through a credible election.
He also said that some vested groups were trying to push the government into trouble, but did not elaborate.
Tapan drew flak for his recent comment that the government has nothing to do with runaway food prices despite the prices had doubled since the emergency administration took charge in January 2007.
Geeteara in November last year termed the fertiliser crisis that prompted nationwide protests a 'myth' created by the media and the farmers were unwilling to queue up.
Whether the resignation of the four advisers stemmed from policy or personal differences with colleagues was not clear.