Five Bangladesh state law officers resign from Attorney General’s Office

Five state law officers resigned from Bangladesh’s Attorney General’s Office on the same day, citing personal and professional reasons as the office faces continuing upheaval over recent appointments and cancellations.

The departing officials are Additional Attorneys General Md Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Rohani Siddiqua and Projjal Chakma, along with Deputy Attorneys General Sultana Akter Rubi and Mamun Chowdhury. Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal confirmed the resignations and said Bhuiyan cited professional commitments, while Chowdhury said his chamber and legal practice had suffered because of his official responsibilities. Siddiqua and Chakma cited personal reasons.

Office sources said another 10 to 12 law officers could resign soon after allegedly being asked to step down over links with the Awami League, whose activities have been banned. Two additional attorneys general had earlier resigned amid similar allegations. Kazal said he was not aware of any pressure on the five officers to resign.

“

fascist

Rubi told The Daily Star that she resigned for personal reasons after lawyers hung a banner at the Attorney General’s Office calling her a “fascist”. Bhuiyan said he had submitted his resignation to the law ministry for forwarding to the president. He denied external pressure or complaints against anyone, but said he felt uncomfortable when the attorney general addressed him as “sir” despite being much younger and less senior in the profession.

The resignations follow a major reconfiguration of the state’s Supreme Court legal team. On July 30, the government appointed 86 lawyers as deputy attorneys general and 179 as additional attorneys general after revoking all previous appointments. Excluded lawyers have since demonstrated at the Attorney General’s Office, and two groups clashed at the Supreme Court Bar Association on September 1. In June, 18 Jamaat-e-Islami-backed law officers also resigned, citing disputes over the July National Charter, judicial independence and proposed changes to the Supreme Court Judge Appointment Ordinance.

“

The attorney general is much junior to me in age and in the profession, but he addresses me as ‘sir’, which makes me uncomfortable.