DHAKA, 17 January 2007 — Bangladesh’s new interim administration chief named five members to his council of advisers yesterday and three of them took oath later in the evening.
Fakhruddin Ahmed, who was appointed caretaker chief last week after weeks of street protests and violence, now has 10 advisers who will together function as his Cabinet and govern the country in the run-up to the contentious vote.
The newly appointed advisers are Ayub Quadri, ex-Inspector General of Police Mohammed Anwarul Iqbal, retired Maj. Gen. A.S.M. Matiur Rahman, Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the United Nations Dr. Iftikhar Ahmed Chowdhury and Foyaz Khan, an IT expert. Ayub Quadri, Anwarul Iqbal and Matiur Rahman were sworn in yesterday. The other two were abroad and would be sworn in on their return to Dhaka soon, officials said. The elections had been set for Jan. 22 but were put off after almost daily demonstrations by an alliance of parties led by the Awami League.
Accusing President Iajuddin Ahmed — the previous caretaker chief of the country — of favoring its rivals, the alliance boycotted the polls and called disruptive strikes to derail them.
Fakhruddin, a widely respected former central bank governor and a former World Bank official, brought the first five advisers into his council on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Army yesterday arrested a senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) official in a crackdown on underworld-linked politicians, a spokesman told AFP.
Dastagir Chowdhury, general secretary of the BNP’s southeastern Chittagong city unit, was arrested from his residence, the armed forces spokesman said.
“Chowdhury harbored terrorists in Chittagong,” the spokesman alleged. Chowdhury is a former deputy mayor of Chittagong city council.
