Two Advisors to Resign Next Week Ahead of National Elections

Ahead of the upcoming national parliamentary elections, two members of the Advisory Council are set to resign next week. They are Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Advisor to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives, and Md. Mahfuz Alam, Advisor to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Both advisors will step down before the election schedule is announced. Their resignations may pave the way for new faces in the Advisory Council.

Meanwhile, among the coordinators who led the people’s movement, the two mentioned advisors will enter the electoral field after resigning. According to various sources, they may contest as independent candidates in constituencies previously held by the BNP. The resignations have already been verbally informed to the Chief Advisor.

Sources indicate that the election schedule will be announced by December 10. The final voter list will be prepared by December 5. The 13th national parliamentary elections are likely to be held on February 8, according to reliable sources.

Meanwhile, discussions regarding multi-party alliances are ongoing. The National Citizens’ Party (NCP) held a meeting at Nahid Islam’s residence on Wednesday night to discuss coalition options. Several proposals were discussed regarding possible alliances with different parties, including a suggestion to include United Peoples Bangladesh (UP Bangladesh), an organization formed by former leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir. The discussion paused as only 3 of the 40 leaders supported including UP Bangladesh, while others preferred an alliance with the BNP or separate participation. NCP leaders are reportedly not willing to ally with Jamaat, raising concerns that the alliance may collapse at the last moment.

Responding to questions about his resignation after an event on Thursday, Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan said, “I am preparing for the elections. I will resign and then contest. There is no law preventing an advisor from running, but ethically, contesting while being an advisor is not proper. I have not decided under which party I will run.”

He further stated, “I have announced I will contest, but not where. Besides the two student advisors, a few other advisors may also contest.”

Previously, Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan was registered as a voter in Comilla but recently became a voter in Dhaka-10, fueling speculation that he may contest from this constituency. The BNP has yet to announce a candidate there.

On November 9, he told journalists, “I will definitely contest from Dhaka. I currently plan to run as an independent candidate.” On August 14, he had confirmed to journalists that he would resign before the election schedule is announced.

Meanwhile, on September 28, Advisor Md. Mahfuz Alam said, “I have been in uncertainty for two months—I still do not know when I will resign.” On October 26, at an event at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, he stated, “The Advisory Council meeting will end in November. After that, the Election Commission will take over. Once the Commission takes charge, the Cabinet will likely not meet again.” The government later issued a statement clarifying that the Advisory Council would continue its duties even after November until the elected government assumes office.

Previously, on August 4, Md. Mahfuz Alam had posted on Facebook, “The sound of one-eleven is heard. Later, he removed the post.” Recently, he commented, “Oppressors are becoming oppressors. The situation is full of despair and anger.” Many officials noted that such posts are inappropriate while serving on the Advisory Council, and these statements reportedly embarrassed some policymakers.

Meanwhile, United Peoples Bangladesh (UP Bangladesh), a new political party formed by key figures behind the July people’s movement, began its journey on May 9 this year. The party includes former leaders of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir. Its 82-member central committee is chaired by Ali Ahsan Junaid, with Arefin Muhammad Hizbullah as secretary.

Source: jugantor

Khaborwala/TSN