Five state law officers resigned today, citing “professional and personal reasons” amid recent appointments and cancellations in the Attorney General’s (AG) office.
The five are: Additional Attorneys General Md Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan, Rohani Siddiqua and Projjal Chakma, and Deputy Attorneys General (DAGs) Sultana Akter Rubi and Mamun Chowdhury.
AG office sources said another 10 to 12 law officers may resign soon, having been asked to step down over alleged links with the Awami League, whose activities have been banned.
Earlier, two AAGs resigned citing personal reasons after similar allegations.
Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal confirmed the resignations to The Daily Star, saying Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan cited professional commitments, while Mamun Chowdhury said his chamber and practice had been adversely affected by his responsibilities as a law officer. Rohani Siddiqua and Projjal Chakma mentioned personal reasons.
The resignations were submitted to the AG office and forwarded to the ministry for necessary action. Kazal said he was not aware of any pressure on the officers to resign.
DAG Rubi told The Daily Star that she resigned for personal reasons after some lawyers hung a banner on the Attorney General’s Office premises labelling her a “fascist”.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan said he had submitted his resignation to the law ministry for forwarding to the president. He denied being under any external pressure or having any complaints against anyone.
“The attorney general is much junior to me in age and in the profession, but he addresses me as ‘sir’, which makes me uncomfortable,” he said, adding that his colleagues had neither disrespected him nor treated him badly.
Jabbar was appointed Additional Attorney General on August 13, 2024. He previously served as president of the Supreme Court unit of the Jatiotabadi Ainjibi Forum and vice-president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
On July 30 this year, the government appointed 86 Supreme Court lawyers as DAGs and 179 as AAGs to represent the state in the Supreme Court, after revoking all previous appointments. Since then, excluded lawyers have staged demonstrations at the AG office. On September 1, two groups clashed at the Supreme Court Bar Association premises.
Earlier, on June 23, 18 Jamaat-e-Islami-backed law officers -- seven DAGs and 11 AAGs -- resigned in protest against the BNP government’s failure to implement the July National Charter, its opposition to an independent judiciary secretariat, and its move to repeal the Supreme Court Judge Appointment Ordinance.
