Law minister Shafique Ahmed has said that the ministers’ resignations were ‘merely a formality’.His comments came after questions were raised whether they were in keeping with the Constitution.
“According to the constitution resignations become effective only after they are submitted to the President,” Ahmed told reporters Tuesday.
“These are not resignations at all. Just a formality,” he said.
He, however, refrained from commenting after the press asked what the formality was all about.
Cabinet members had handed their ‘undated’ resignation letters to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday in a bid to kick start the process of forming an all-party government.
Hasina had proposed an all-inclusive interim government to supervise the polls.
But Opposition Leader Khaleda Zia rejected the idea and proposed an interim government comprising former caretaker government advisors.
The BNP has remained indifferent to the repeated calls by the ruling Awami League to join the all-party government.
According to the Constitution, a minister’s resignation automatically becomes effective the moment it’s submitted.
The government, however, is saying that it won’t happen this time on.
The Prime Minister will not accept the resignations of ministers likely to be retained in the all-party Cabinet, and there would be no need for them to take fresh oath.
The letters of those not finding a berth in an interim Cabinet would be sent to the President.
“The ministers have not resigned, just expressed their will,” the Law Minister said on Tuesday.
“You may say whatever pleases you,” he told reporters when asked what would be the resignations termed as. – bdnews24.com
