Bangladesh unrest: Law and order failure led to Home Affairs adviser’s exit

Amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, government officials revealed on Friday (December 26) that failure to handle the law and order situation in the country ahead of the February 12 general elections led to the resignation of Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser of the interim government on Home Affairs.

The revelation comes on a day when BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman visited the grave of his father and Bangladesh's former president Ziaur Rahman in Dhaka, a day after he returned to the country after spending 17 years in self-imposed exile in the UK.

‘Failed to restore law and order’

According to a Daily Star report quoting government officials under condition of anonymity, Khuda Baksh was appointed as the Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser of the interim government on Home Affairs on November 10, after the July uprising that ousted the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government.

The officials further revealed that the expectation that he would play a key role in restoring discipline and boosting the morale of the law enforcement agencies played a key role in his appointment, adding that he failed to meet the expectations.

"He needed to resign due to his failure to perform at the expected level and shortcomings in crisis management," said a senior government official.

‘Expected to play decisive role’

"He was a former IGP, and there were expectations that he would play a strong and decisive role,” he added as quoted by the Daily Star.

The officials further stated that there was increasing unease over Khuda Baksh Chowdhury’s performance, especially after the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, spokesperson of Inqilab Moncho and an aspirant from the Dhaka-8 constituency.

"Realising this unease, he himself resigned. The government did not ask him to resign," said a senior government official.

Chowdhury stepped down as Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser of the interim government on Home Affairs on Wednesday, days after the killing of student leader Osman Hadi, a prominent figure of the July uprising that led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government.

Tarique Rahman pays homage to father

During the day, Rahman reached Zia Udyan in a red-and-green bulletproof bus and paid floral tributes at the grave, offering 'dua' and 'munajat' for the eternal peace of his father’s soul, news portal bangla.daily-sun.com reported.

BNP founder Ziaur Rahman was a Bangladeshi military officer who served as the sixth president of Bangladesh from 1977 until his assassination in 1981. He retired from the army in 1978 with the rank of lieutenant general.

Media barred from spot

The BNP leader was accompanied by senior party leaders during the visit.

According to the Daily Star, members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), police and the army barred media personnel and party activists from entering the grave area and its surroundings.

While Rahman was paying respects, party leaders and activists gathered in front of the entrance and chanted slogans.

(With agency inputs)