Dhaka, Dec 11 (V7N) – Advisors Mahfuz Alam and Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiya have submitted their resignations to Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, though official sources confirm that their resignations have not yet been formally processed. Both are scheduled to attend the Advisory Council meeting on Thursday morning and will officially leave their posts before the announcement of the 13th parliamentary elections later in the day.
Government and political sources indicate that Mahfuz Alam, who held the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, initially did not wish to resign and preferred to remain in government rather than contest elections. Known as a key student leader of the July uprising, he was advised by the Chief Advisor and government officials to step down to ensure the interim government’s neutrality during the election period.
Sources report that Mahfuz Alam had expressed a desire to stay in office until the handover to the next government, but agreed to resign on Wednesday morning after consultations and concerns about being removed by authorities. Asif Mahmud had confirmed his resignation on Tuesday and announced publicly on Wednesday that he would participate in the elections, though he had not yet declared from which party or constituency.
The newly formed National Citizens’ Party (NCP) confirmed that Asif Mahmud will contest from the Dhaka-10 seat and has begun party preparations. Mahfuz Alam has not yet confirmed his candidacy, with the NCP reserving Laxmipur-1 for him. Attempts to include NCP in the BNP-led Democratic Reform Alliance failed due to seat allocation disagreements.
On Wednesday evening, both advisors formally submitted their resignation letters to the Chief Advisor at Jamuna. In a press release, Dr. Yunus praised the two student leaders for their leadership during the July uprising, stating that their contributions to freeing the nation from authoritarian rule will be remembered, and expressed confidence that they will continue to play an active role in democratic development.
Asif Mahmud, during a press briefing at the Secretariat, confirmed that he had submitted asset declarations, cancelled his diplomatic passport, and would contest in the elections, though the party affiliation and constituency would be announced later.
Both advisors held ministerial rank in the interim government, with the Chief Advisor enjoying the rank of Prime Minister. According to constitutional provisions, submission of resignation letters effectively vacates their positions, although they have been invited to the council meeting to receive formal farewell honors.
Mahfuz Alam initially served as a special assistant to the Chief Advisor before taking the advisory oath on November 10 last year and later assumed responsibility for information affairs. Asif Mahmud was initially responsible for the Ministry of Labour and Youth & Sports, and in November last year was assigned to the Ministry of Local Government.
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